Ashby de la Zouch Castle

There was certainly a manor of Ashby at the time of the Norman invasion which the Domesday Book valued at the princely sum of ten shillings. The name Ashby is Saxon and simply means "Homestead where Ash Trees Grow". In 1160 a Norman nobleman, Alain de Parrhoet la Zouch inherited the manor and his name was added making Ashby de la Zouch. He converted the Norman wooden castle into a more substantial stone building. The Zouch family prospered for many years and gave their name to the town but by the 14th century they had died out. Ashby changed hands several times before reverting to the Crown in 1461 on the death of James Butler, Earl of Ormonde, who was executed after the battle of Towton. A few years later Edward IV granted the manor to William, Lord Hastings who had been appointed Lord Chamberlain.

He is responsible for building the chapel, many domestic buildings and the most impressive structure that remains at the castle today, the Hastings Tower. In June 1483 Lord Hastings was beheaded by Richard III, though his lands and titles remained with the family. His son, Edward, supported the Royal cause at the Battle of Bosworth Field and his descendants continued to prosper. In 1529 his son, George was created Earl of Hintingdon. Henry VII, James I and Charles I visited Ashby Castle and Mary Queen of Scots spent a night there in 1569 and 1586 while being confined.
Improvements we made to the castle's defenses in the Civil War. In 1644 Parliamentarian forces occupied the town and laid siege to the castle. It proved too strong to be stormed but in February 1646 lack of food and an outbreak of plague led to its surrender. Many of the buildings were 'slighted' on the orders of Parliament and made unfit for use.
In the early 19th century the first Marquess of Hastings began to preserve the ruins. Later the chapel became a mausoleum for the family. Since 1985 the castle has been cared for by English Heritage.
The market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch is pleasantly situated on the banks of one of the sources of the River Mease, on the north-western side of Leicestershir; about 1 1/2 miles from the boundary of Derbyshire, 115 miles N.N.W. of London, 17 1/2 miles W.N.W. of Leicester, 13 miles S. of Derby, 22 miles S.W. of Nottingham, and 9 miles S.E. of Burton on Trent.

The Davenport Desk

In 1790 a desk was commissioned by Captain Davenport to Gillows the Lancaster based firm of cabinet makers .The Captain was leaving shortly for overseas and ordered a compact writing table. Essentially a narrow upright cabinet with a sloping leather-lined top, which supports often a brass gallery superstructure. The lower cabinetry houses a bank of drawers which opens to one side with false drawer-fronts on the other, and occasionally a narrow hinged drawer for ink. This was known during its manufacture as 'The Davenport order', the first desk was completed and the name stuck, being applied to all subsequent orders for desks in this style

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