Betchworth Castle

The ruins of Betchworth Castle sit high above the River Mole, as the river heads north from Brockham towards Box Hill. The castle is surrounded by the Betchworth Park Golf Club, but there is an access path from the Golf Club entrance on the A25. The castle was a fortified medieval manor house, developed through the centuries and finally made redundant in the 1830s when the owner demolished part of it for the building materials, and left the rest as a picturesque folly.

The sandstone spur on which the castle sits overlooking the Mole is a strategic spot, and may once have held an Iron Age hill fort. [1] The castle started as an earthwork fortress built by Robert Fitz Gilbert in the 11th century, and was turned it into a stone castle in 1379. In 1448 it was rebuilt as a fortified house, and housed the Browne family for almost 250 years. During the 18^th Century it changed hands and various alterations were made.

Abraham Tucker, a gentleman philosopher, bought the castle in 1727, and laid out a formal park with avenues of trees and a water garden, including a fountain, on the east side. He spent his life there, and afterwards his daughter lived there till her death in 1794. It was then bought by Henry Peters, a banker and MP who enhanced the estate but after he died his son neglected the property, and it was finally abandoned in the 1830s.

Bought for £1

In 2011 Martin Higgins, a resident and local historian, bought Betchworth Castle for £1 from Mole Valley District Council when it was at risk from falling down. [2] With the help of volunteers and grants, by 2012 the first phase of conservation was completed, allowing access to the site for the first time in many years. The site now forms part of the Deepdene Trail. [3]

The Lake

A steep slope of lawns and gardens lead down to Castlefields Lake next to the river Mole. Castlefields lake is now a venue for Dorking Angling Society. The lake is naturally spring fed and species present include Carp, Crucians, Roach, Gudgeon, Skimmers, Tench and Perch. The latter three were introduced in 2005.

CIMG1633 — View East from the Castle down to the lake and the Mole behind it.

An engraving by Samuel and Nathaniel Buck of 1737 dedicated to Abraham Tucker (the then owner) shows a large ornamental lake, with a fountain jet, below the house
next to the river.

betchworth20buck — East Side of Betchworth Castle S&N Buck, 1737

[Picture http://www.rareoldprints.com/p/13728]

Water Engine House

There is an old Water Engine House next to the River Mole, just to the North West of Betchworth Castle, in the Castle Gardens estate (named after the old kitchen gardens). This consisted of a water wheel and a pump which was used to pump water up to the castle.

This was likely built originally by Abraham Tucker during his upgrade of the Castle and grounds in the 1730s. (The first public water supply in Dorking with an engine house was apparently constructed in 1738 under Tucker’s auspices.).

An article in Surrey History [4] contains much more detail and some interesting photographs, including the following:

Photograph, taken in about 1900, of the engine house with its thatched roof and waterwheel and also, at the left, a steam-powered Deepdene estate saw mill.
(Courtesy of Raymond Clarke).

The Black Dog

Legend has it that the castle is haunted by a black dog (death dog) that prowls the ruins at night, and the Lord of the Manor who allegedly chased and killed an escaping convict with his sword. He later found out that it was in fact his own son he had killed and is said to now walk around the ruins in regret!