Local author publishes the history of Caludon Castle...

John Clarke has long been captivated by tales of derring-do centred on the ruins of the ancient castle on his doorstep, now he has published a book on the subject



The ruins of a Coventry castle entranced John Clarke as a schoolboy.

At 12 he sketched the mysterious solitary sandstone wall standing sentinel in the park just down the road from his family home in Wyken.

Like most Coventry kids, he spent many long hours in rugged kickabouts on the park pitches trying to emulate the skills of football heroes of the day.

Dreams of footballing glory passed with youth but his fascination with the heroes and villains who once trod that same ground as lords of the castle was deeply embedded.

As his sporting domain was reputed to be the birthplace of St George the Dragon-slayer it’s not hard to see how it might stir the imagination of a boy growing up in a typical Coventry suburb in the days when adventure didn’t come in pre-packaged theme parks.

It was, though, to prove an abiding passion to unearth the real story that captured his heart, not a brief flirtation with an attractive but easily exposed myth.

More than 40 years on, the childhood drawing is still a treasured possession in the Clarke household – the spark that fired his personal crusade to unravel the story of Caludon Castle.

And the image is also to be found in its fulfilment: The History of Caludon Castle, the scholarly-researched and beautifully illustrated book he has proudly published.

Over more than 200 pages, the hardback book chronicles the life of a building sited on land once owned by Lady Godiva, before William the Conqueror arrived uninvited. And which, at about 1200, as a manor house with surrounding hunting land, was handed over by way of a sweetener from a nobleman to a lawyer.

A century later the house was fortified to become a castle with a moat – not for defence but to enhance the status of the occupant.

The book, subtitled The Lords of the Manor of Caludon, gives an exhaustive account of all its custodians in what is both an authoritative historical record and a story that brings to life the personalities that paced its flagstone floors

It was jointly written and edited by George Demidowicz, former Coventry City Council head of conservation and archaeology, and co-authored by Stephen Johnson. Both commissioned by John Clarke, who dug deep into his own pocket to fund the project.

The father of three, a former chairman and deputy chairman of Coventry City FC, began his working life as a reporter on the Rugby Advertiser but has headed his own public relations company in Coventry and London for more than 25 years.

In 2005 he was made an OBE for services to the community and he sees his role in revealing the castle’s history and campaigning for practical improvements in the park as a continuation of that work.

His journalist’s instinct for a rattling good story and the old maxim that a picture is worth a 1000 words provide a perfect framework for the authors’ meticulous research.

Stunning artist’s impressions by English Heritage illustrator Pete Urmston of how the castle would have looked in the latter part of the 16th century show that, had it survived, it would unquestionably be a jewel in the crown of Coventry’s heritage.

The book picks up the castle’s story at the time of a peculiar piece of generosity, bestowed on lawyer-cum-bureaucrat Stephen de Segrave whose rising star was noted by the Earl of Chester at the start of the 13th Century.

The earl gave him a substantial slice of Caludon – the name is thought to derive from the old English term Calu-dun, meaning bare flat-topped hill – no doubt storing up reciprocal favours from a man of growing influence.

In exchange for the generous spread of rough land and woods, ideal for hunting, he asked only the sum of “one sparrow hawk” a year.

Today, the name Caludon Castle, is most closely associated with the nearby school, now an Academy, still affectionately dubbed ‘Cally’ Castle, which John Clarke attended.

He recalled: “When I went to the school I began asking more questions as all the school houses were named after the powerful families who had lived there.

“I decided in my teens that i was going to research the castle’s history and the journey to publish a book began.

“It has been a lifetime labour of love and probably the most important thing I have ever done.

“I am proud that it will be read as the authoritative historical record about the castle and manor for centuries to come.,.

“Having taken more than 40 years to complete it, I don’t anticipate many publishers knocking on my door for the next one. They might be worried about my ability to hit the deadline.”

The castle’s history is a tapestry woven with an aristocratic thread during some periods when to have the ear of the King brought riches and built reputations; to be out of favour could mean he had your head, and entrails too in some cases. The book also records incidents of skullduggery and bawdiness that add spice to the feast of facts and figures.

* Lady Katherine Berkeley (1538-96), one of the castle’s more colourful characters, made very good use of her figure when on a visit to Coventry a flustered youth failed to curtsy properly.

He was made to practise the gesture more than a 100 times, but not until she had teased him by showing him how, exposing immodest amounts of leg in the process.

* In the 1380s, William Bagot, owner of his own castle at nearby Baginton, had a cameo role in the story as the local villain, when he was appointed guardian of a young heir to Caludon.

He grabbed the opportunity to plunder it for building materials with the zeal of a modern day copper thief and left the youngster without a roof over his inherited home and minus much of the supporting timbers too.

* Shakespeare had more than a walk-on part in the castle’s history when he performed in his own play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at the wedding of Thomas Berkeley, the son of Caludon’s last lord of the manor Henry Berkeley and the aforementioned Katherine.

The Berkeley family dynasty at Caludon Castle was its golden age, John Clarke believes.

“In particular Lord Henry’s stewardship. He was the godson of Henry Vlll and close to Queen Elizabeth 1. The castle was at its height in the late 16th Century with more than 70 servants and Henry entertaining lavishly in the Great Hall with hired actors and musicians.

“He was also generous to the poor of the surrounding villages, hosting a feast for them every Christmas and giving money every week ‘to the poore’ at the castle gates.”

Some years ago, with the park suffering from years of neglect, John Clarke was enraged to see modern industrial gates guarding the entrance to his childhood haven,

It refuelled his drive to see his book completed and acted as a spur to launching the Friends of the Park who have played a major part in its revival.

He said: “I have a strong belief that access to open spaces, particularly parks is important for every community and I can say without question my childhood was enriched by my time in Caludon Park.

"If you take a walk over Caludon Park any day of the week, you will see children around the castle, fascinated by how and why it became a ruin. I am pleased to say we can now offer the first time provide the answer.”

*To buy the book contact info@centurypr.co.uk at discount launch price of £19.95 plus £2.25 p&p (please include your name, address and telephone number in your email).