Henry VIII’s castle saved for community

Torpel Manor Field, the site of a medieval castle once owned by King Henry VIII, has been bought by the Langdyke Countryside Trust as a community heritage and nature reserve, thanks to a grant from the Government and the donations of local people.
The Trust completed the purchase in late February following a year-long fund raising campaign and will now begin work on restoring the site and managing it for people and nature.
The nine acre site is in Bainton Parish, near the garden centre at the end of West Street, Helpston and contains the visible remains of the castle, including protective ditches and the remains of the old moat. It is also a county wildlife site, with rare flowers growing on the ditches and embankments of the castle.
In total local people and businesses raised nearly £8,000 for the appeal. This will be used to convert the former stable block into a small exhibition and interpretative centre. The cost of buying the land was met by a grant from the Government’s Growth Area Fund.
This grant also met the costs of buying land at the Trust’s nature reserve at Swaddywell Pit, Helpston, which was previously rented, securing its future as a community owned and managed site
Richard Keymer, Chair of the Langdyke Countryside Trust, said, “We are delighted to have completed the purchase of Torpel Manor Field and very grateful to all those who contributed to our appeal. The site is now secure for the future as a community asset, with full public access. We can now look forward to managing the site for the benefit of the community and of wildlife. We hope in time to be able to find out more about the site’s history, through archaeological excavations. And we want to encourage community use, perhaps holding outdoor drama evenings on the main castle mound, community picnics or even reviving the medieval Torpel Fair - held throughout the 12th and 13th centuries on 31 August - 3 September.”