Bishop’s Stortford History Society launches subscriber scheme for new book The Bishops’ Castle: Waytemore & Bishop’s Stortford, by Mike James and Ruth Halliwell,

Bishop’s Stortford History Society has launched a subscription scheme for a new book chronicling the history of the town’s castle mound.

The Bishops’ Castle: Waytemore & Bishop’s Stortford, by Mike James and Ruth Halliwell, is due to be published this summer.

Society chair Tim Howard-Smith explained: “The book is the result of many years of work by Mike and Ruth, and it is believed this will be the first book to be written on the subject of Waytemore Castle.

“The society has launched a subscription scheme to enable people to pre-purchase the book and at the same time have their names recorded as subscribers within the book.

“We are looking for 50 subscribers to pay £22.50 now and reserve their copy of the book, which will be on a limited print run.”

The book asks and attempts to answer a series of intriguing questions about the grade I listed scheduled ancient monument and its history.

According to Mike and Ruth, Waytemore Castle was probably built around 1070 by William, the Bishop of London. This was early for Norman castle-building, and of hundreds of such castles in England, only a dozen or so were episcopal.

Waytemore remained in active use for more than five centuries, far longer than most of its contemporaries. It housed a gatehouse, prison and chapel, and there were many burials there.

The authors say these simple facts suggest the site’s importance, yet Waytemore is largely ignored in academic research.

They ask: “Why was it called ‘Waytemore’? Was it really a castle, as we think of the term? The Normans built to impress, so why was it located in a river valley? How was it built? Why a Norman bishop, not a Norman military baron? Why in Bishop’s Stortford?”

The society hopes Mike and Ruth’s research, using archaeological and historical evidence, with many original maps and illustrations, will provide a new perspective on the development of Bishop’s Stortford.

Members and guests got a sneak preview at the society’s last lecture before the summer recess.

Dr James gave a talk titled “Bishop William – the Godfather of Bishop’s Stortford” at the annual general meeting.

In his regular review of lectures for the Indie, Mr Howard-Smith writes: “In keeping with previous years, the final talk of the 2024-25 season of talks was given by a member of the history society.

“With his book due to be published by the society later this summer, it was therefore appropriate that Dr Mike James delivered his talk on Bishop William, the person believed to be responsible for the castle.

“Mike began by outlining the Stortford of the time of the Norman Conquest. Previously owned by Edeva the Fair, the first wife of Harold Godwinson, the manor had been sold to Bishop William, the Norman Bishop of London, at some time before the Norman Conquest.

“Bishop William was a close confidant of Edward the Confessor and had probably been in Edward’s company in Normandy during Edward’s 25-year exile during the first half of the 11th century.

“It was there that William was mentored by Robert of Jumièges, the first Norman Bishop of London and who later was a very short-lived Archbishop of Canterbury.

“It was clear that Edward had a large band of Norman followers who accompanied him on his return to England in 1042.

“William was consecrated Bishop of London in 1051, in a contentious appointment by his predecessor, the newly-installed Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert of Jumièges.

“Later Bishop William appeared in the Bayeux Tapestry at the side of Edward the Confessor on his deathbed.

“Although opposed to both the Godwinson faction and also William the Conqueror’s invasion, he survived both and later served William the Conqueror until his death around 1075.

“Mike explained the mechanics of raising a castle mound at that time as well as the various phases of the castle’s construction, and went on to explain the castle’s later history when eventually the walls were torn down, leading to its final destruction.”

To reserve a copy of The Bishops’ Castle: Waytemore & Bishop’s Stortford, email bshschair@btinternet.com with your name (or names if applying as a couple), address and phone number. Payment should be made by bank transfer to Bishop’s Stortford History Society, account number 67942415, sort code 60-02-36. The offer closes on June 30.