In the aftermath of the Norman Conquest in 1066, the lands in the West Midlands remained in the hands of Earl Edwin of Mercia. In 1070, however, he was involved in an unsuccessful rebellion against King William. As a consequence he forfeited his estates (and his life). The estates were divided amongst William's followers.
Ansculf of Picquigny benefited from this division & received the estate of Dudley. He built a fortification of earth & timber called a Motte & Bailey Castle, first mentioned in the Doomsday survey of 1086.
Dudley castle in the 16th Century
In the 16th Century John Dudley (whose father was executed by Henry VII) took possession of the castle and embarked on a programme of rebuilding, the result of which is now known as the Sharrington Range, after the architect.
On the death of Henry VIII in 1547 & the accession of his son Edward VI, John Dudley became protector of the young king. The reign was short & in 1553 Edward's death left the throne open to the accession of Henry's eldest daughter Mary.
With Mary's strong adherence to the Catholic faith her accession posed a threat to Henry's religious reformation. John Dudley attempted to prevent this by conspiring to place his daughter-in-law, the Lady Jane Grey, upon the throne. Her claim was slight and the plot rapidly foundered. John's fellow conspirators deserted him & he was forced to surrender himself to the mercy of Mary. However, no mercy was shown & he, his son, & the Lady Jane Grey were all executed.
In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I visited Dudley Castle but despite the magnificence of the occasion the castle was already in decline.
The English Civil War & Dudley Castle
Dudley Castle was garrisoned by Royalist troops during the English Civil War & was twiced besieged. Popular legend maintains that the Castle was bombarded from Kates Hill in the first siege of 1644. The seige was raised by a Royalist relief column & as a result of this skirmish was fought at nearby Tipton Green.
In 1646 a renewed attempt on the castle was made under the command of Sir William Brereton, a formidable parliamentarian general. The Royalist, Colonel Leveson, surrendered the castle on the 13th May, 1646. He rode out of the castle accompanied by 340 men. For Dudley the Civil War was over.
Despite Brereton's contention that the castle should be preserved as a parliamentarian stronghold, Dudley Castle suffered the fate of so many of England's noble fortresses. In 1647, by order of parliament, the Keep, gatehouse & various portions of the curtain wall were slighted. Dudle Castle would never again play a part in the military history of England.
Dudley Castle in the 18th - 21st Century
Although the castle defences were dismantled, the domestic range was left intact. Even so, the castle was falling from favour and so on the 24th July 1750, when a fire tore through the Sharrington Range, little effort was made to extinguish the flames & no attempt was made to rebuild the castle afterwards.
The Castle was now settled into the role of romantic ruin. The Earl's of Dudley showed interest in the ruin & work was undertaken to improve its appearance.
Throughout the 19th, 20th & into the 21st Century, the castle fulfilled the new role as a centre for festivals & fetes for the people of Dudley & beyond.
