Upton Castle

Upton Castle is a moated medieval manor house, with substantial later additions dating primarily to the 18th and 19th centuries. The core of the house lies to the northeast, but its original form has been largely obscured by 19th-century alterations, including the insertion of a new first floor. Originally, the house was aligned east to west, with first-floor access on both the north and south sides.

The medieval part is characterised by three early towers – the eastern one virtually circular and the others semi-circular – separated by short lengths of curtain wall forming the north elevation. These towers are constructed from large, irregular courses of stone with plain parapets supported on corbel tables. The corbel table of the western tower is at a lower level than the others. The original first-floor entrance was positioned in the curtain wall between the central and eastern towers, but this is now occupied by an early 19th-century arch above a window and door. A blocked window with a trefoil head is located above this. The present entrance to the castle is positioned between the central and western towers, featuring two wall arches above and two blocked quatrefoil loops. Cross-loops with oillets are present in the eastern and central towers. A south-facing window has a trefoil-headed opening to the ground storey, and a doorway features a dressed stone arch with a broach-stop. A crenellated parapet sits atop corbels.

There is an early extension to the south, likely dating from the late 17th century, which is four stories high. Large 19th-century extensions have also been added to the west, south, and further west. A passageway with a glazed roof runs north of the four-story extension, providing access to the gardens to the rear and to the main house. This later work uses stone similar to the original, but in a smaller rubble masonry. The 19th-century extensions terminate in two large, contiguous bow fronts facing the main approach, seemingly intended to emulate the tower-dominated north front of the original medieval structure. Most windows in the later sections, and in the early west tower, are four-pane mid-19th century sash windows with exposed frames.

Internally, the central tower contains a vaulted ceiling. The cambered voussoir head of a fireplace is visible in the first storey against the south wall. A stone spiral staircase with a dressed limestone newel leads to the original hall on the second floor. The fireplace in this hall is topped with a square-headed dressed stone hood resting on quarter-round corbels. The original roof structure was based on corbels below the wall-head height. The 17th-century extension contains a fine staircase with a close string, square newels, and balusters. Decorative plasterwork borders the ceiling of the sitting room on the first floor.