Guidebook: Wingfield Manor

The ruins of Wingfield Manor form an impressive cluster of towers and chimneys high on a rocky hill above the village of South Wingfield. They have been seen by many in the 2011 film version of Jane Eyre, in which they represent the stark remains of Rochester’s burned-out Thornfield Hall. Wingfield was built in the 1440s by Ralph, Lord Cromwell, Treasurer to Henry VI, and was later home to the Earl of Shrewsbury, who imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots here. During the Civil War Parliament besieged the manor with a large force, took it, and had it slighted. It was granted afterwards to the astronomer Immanuel Halton, who had a house built within the ruins of the medieval hall. His family remained here until 1774, after which they moved to a new mansion, leaving the manor to the occupation of farmers. The ruins passed into the care of the State in 1960 and are now in the care of English Heritage. Key Features: Published: March 2019 Paperback