Description: Shown is the West view of Codnor Castle.
Codnor Castle is a 13th century stone keep and bailey fortress, founded by William Peveril. It is the only other such early-medieval castles in Derbyshire (the other being Peveril Castle at Castleton). Once the home of the Grey and Zouch families. Henry Grey, a philosopher and alchemist, obtained from the credulous Edward IV, a license to practice the transmutation of metals (hoping to turn them into gold!).
The castle fell in to decay when the Zouch's sold the castle in 1634. The present fragmentary remains represent, a three storey keep and a strong curtain wall and ditch, flanked by round towers. The lower outer bailey is of a later date.
Codnor Castle is located east of Codnor, at Castle Farm off Castle Lane on the Codnor-Stoneyford border. It was built at a strategic point at the top of the ridge which runs to the west of the River Erewash, and has views over the Erewash Valley to its east and Heanor and Codnor to its south and west. (There is an interesting web-site showing pictures of it taken in the 1960's at www.jacksdale.org.uk).
The inscription beneath the image reads:
"TO L E G H MASTER Esq owner of these remains. This Prospect is humbly inscribed by his obliged humber servants Sam'l and Nath'l Buck.
This castle in former times called Coutenour, belonged to the Barons Grey there upon call'd Lords Grey of Codenor, from which family it came to the Zouches by the marriage of S'r Jo'ph de le Zouch, second son of W'm L'd de le Zouch of Harringworth with Elz: the only heir of Hen: Grey, the last Lord of Codenor, and at present belongs to Legh Master Esq."
See also image DRBY005269.
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.