Bailey Walls, North East Range To Hertford Castle (Hertford Castle Demolished)

The remains of curtain walls form the north-east range of what was once Hertford Castle, which has since been demolished. These walls date to the late 12th century, approximately 1171-1174, with later repairs and alterations carried out over the centuries. The construction is primarily flint rubble with clunch blocks, supplemented by extensive repairs and rebuilding in red brick laid in English bond. A screen at the south-east corner has been entirely rebuilt in red brick, marking the site of a former angle bastion that was destroyed, along with a house built within the walls, by the Marquess of Downshire. A Sparrow engraving from 1776 depicts this feature.

The walls reach a maximum height of 15 to 18 feet, without later crenellations. The north gateway is flanked by contemporary circular castellated flint rubble gate piers, through which pass 20th-century iron gates. A 6-foot section of the curtain wall, returning toward the motte, has been rebuilt internally using red brick with a flint-faced outer wall.

According to historical records, Hertford Castle may have originated as a Saxon fort constructed by King Alfred to counter Danish encampments. After 1066, William I built, or reconstructed, the castle as a motte and bailey. The motte itself, 22 feet high, remains in the north angle of the former castle precinct, overlooking the river. It is believed that between 1171 and 1174, around £171 was spent on replacing a wooden palisade with the current flint rubble curtain wall.

The castle originally comprised a double moat, the outer moat following the line of Castle Street and Parliament Square, separated from the inner moat by an embankment which broadened into the Outer Ward. The moats have since been infilled, but their vestiges can still be seen in the undulating landforms near Castle Street and Parliament Square. The Bailey encompassed an area of 2.3 acres, while the entire castle precinct covered 7.75 acres.

Hertford Castle Gate House, curtain walls, the motte and bailey, and the precinct are designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.