Kirby Muxloe Castle

The ruins of Kirby Muxloe Castle represent a late 15th-century fortified manor house, begun around 1480 for William, Lord Hastings. Construction was largely incomplete when he was beheaded in June 1483. The castle is built of narrow red brick with diapering and decorative motifs using blue headers, and incorporates some stone dressings. The rectangular courtyard plan includes towers projecting at the corners and midpoints of each side, all originally surrounded by a moat. Only the gatehouse on the northwest side and the west tower were substantially completed; the remainder of the castle survives as foundations and low base walls marking the planned layout. The remains of an earlier manor house are visible within the courtyard.

The two-story gatehouse features chambers flanking a central entrance, a large chamber above, and octagonal corner towers. The beginnings of spur walls for side ranges are visible to either side. A chamfered stone plinth incorporates stone gunports; a chamfered stone string runs at first-floor level. The large central gateway has a moulded stone 4-centred arch, with an ashlar panel above, recessed behind a slot for a portcullis. The lower story of the north front is blind. The upper story has two stone mullion and transom windows to the main chamber, each window comprising a pair of arched lights within a rectangular moulded surround. A central, blind rectangular niche is carved in stone, flanked by the initials WH set in blue header brick. The upper chambers of the towers feature single arched lights with moulded surrounds. Decorative brick motifs are visible on the tower walls, including a sleeve, a ship, and a representation of a man. The courtyard front of the gatehouse displays two-light stone windows and fragments of upper windows. Doorways with 4-centred stone archways lead to spiral staircases, lit by single lights with depressed arches and double-chamfered brick surrounds; these staircases have fine helical brick vaults. Lower chambers feature barrel brick vaults, with vaulted garderobes in the north towers. Inner doorways and fireplace surrounds are similarly constructed with chamfered brick. The upper portion of the northeast tower has been adapted for use as a dovecote. The three-story west tower incorporates taller, square turret projections on the northeast and southeast sides, the former containing a spiral staircase. The west tower has a plinth, gunports, strings, and battlements, similar to the gatehouse. Stone windows with arched lights are set within each chamber, with two-light windows to the northwest and southwest, and single lights to the remaining sides.

The site is a scheduled Ancient Monument and is in the care of English Heritage.