Editing Castle Rising Castle (section)

===14th century===
[[File:Castle Rising Castle 14.jpg|thumb|The foundations of the chapel and parts of the west range, built in the inner bailey during Queen [[Isabella of France]]'s ownership of the castle]]
The Montalts were a prominent baronial family, but they had few other estates in the region and their family fortunes declined.<ref name="Brown 1988 15–16"/> In 1327, Roger de Montalt's younger brother, [[Robert de Montalt, 1st Baron Montalt|Robert]], who was childless, sold the [[Reversion (law)|reversion]] of his rights in the castle to the Crown in 1327 for 10,000 [[Mark (money)|mark]]s&nbsp;– effectively selling it to the Crown with a life-time lease for him and his wife Emma.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1989|p=81}}; {{harvnb|Brown|1988|pp=16–17}}.</ref> An alternative theory to explain the different style of stonework along the top of the keep is that the building was completed under William d'Albini II, but had become dilapidated by the start of the 14th century, requiring extensive repairs by Robert.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1989|p=81}}; {{harvnb|Morley|Gurney|1997|p=3}}.</ref> The forebuilding of the keep was raised in height at one end around this time and a new, peaked roof added to it, and an imposing, timber-framed, brick kitchen was built in the inner bailey.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1989|p=81}}; {{harvnb|Morley|Gurney|1997|pp=3, 56–59, 135}}.</ref>

At the time of Robert's agreement with the Crown, the government of England was controlled by [[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March|Roger Mortimer]] and Queen [[Isabella of France]], who was ruling as [[regent]] in the name of her young son, [[Edward III of England|Edward III]].<ref name=Brown1988P18/> Isabella fell from power when Edward toppled Mortimer in a [[coup d'état]] in 1330, but after a short period of [[house arrest]] she led a relatively normal life, enjoying considerable status as the King's mother.<ref name=DohertyP174Mortimer2008P330>{{harvnb|Doherty|2004|p=174}}; {{harvnb|Mortimer|2008|p=330}}.</ref> Edward granted Isabella several royal castles in England, including Castle Rising.<ref name=DohertyP174Mortimer2008P330/> Robert had died in 1329 and in 1331 Emma sold her rights to the castle to Isabella for £400.<ref name="Brown1988P18"/>

From then on, Isabella used Castle Rising as one of her main residences until her death in 1358.<ref name=Brown1988P18>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=18}}.</ref> Isabella was a wealthy woman, as the King granted her a yearly income of £3,000, which by 1337 had increased to £4,000.<ref>{{harvnb|Doherty|2004|p=173}}.</ref> She enjoyed a regal lifestyle in Norfolk, maintaining [[minstrel]]s, [[Hunting|huntsmen]] and [[Groom (profession)|grooms]], and received visits from Edward and the royal household on at least four occasions.<ref>{{harvnb|Doherty|2004|p=176}}; {{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=18}}.</ref> Despite her large income, Isabella ran up long-standing debts with the local merchants near the castle.<ref>{{harvnb|Doherty|2004|p=174}}.</ref> Around the time that she took over the castle, a new set of buildings were constructed in the central bailey, including a west range containing a residential suite, a new private chapel, and a south range linking to various service buildings; the existing kitchen was reused.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|pp=18–19}}; {{harvnb|Morley|Gurney|1997|pp=4, 58–59}}.</ref> The great hall was reroofed, although Isabella lived in the west range, using the keep only for formal occasions or as accommodation for very senior guests.<ref>{{harvnb|Morley|Gurney|1997|pp=4, 60}}.</ref> A brick wall around the outside of the inner bailey may have been built around this time to provide additional security.<ref>{{harvnb|Morley|Gurney|1997|pp=4, 137}}.</ref>

The castle then passed to Isabella's grandson, [[Edward the Black Prince]].<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1989|p=81}}.</ref> Edward III had decreed in 1337 that his son would inherit the castle after Isabella's death, complete with the surrounding manor and the right to part of the [[tariff|tolls]] from King's Lynn, although these brought in only a relatively modest £100 a year.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=19}}; {{harvnb|Green|2004|p=87}}.</ref> As part of this arrangement, the King declared the castle to be a permanent part of the [[Duchy of Cornwall]], an estate traditionally assigned for the use of the [[Prince of Wales]].<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=19}}.</ref> The Prince undertook repairs to the castle during the 1360s, including spending £81 on repairing the "Nightegale Tower" in 1365, although it is uncertain which part of the castle this refers to.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|pp=19–20}}.</ref>{{efn|Analysis of the other buildings mentioned in the records of repairs suggest that the "Nightegale Tower" was not the keep, but could have been a reference to the gatehouse or one of the towers along the walls.<ref>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=20}}.</ref>}} The Prince died in 1376, returning the Duchy of Cornwall to the control of the Crown, and during this time Castle Rising appears to have been maintained in good condition.<ref name=Brown1988P20Pounds1994P205>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=20}}; {{harvnb|Pounds|1994|p=205}}.</ref> It was ordered on several occasions during the 1380s to raise local forces to counter the threat of a French invasion, and may have been equipped with two cannons.<ref name=Brown1988P20Pounds1994P205/> If not built by Isabella, the brick wall around the inner bailey may have been constructed during this period.<ref>{{harvnb|Morley|Gurney|1997|p=137}}.</ref>

Under [[Richard II of England|Richard II]], the rights to the castle changed hands several times, despite Edward's charter having made it a permanent part of the Duchy.<ref name=Brown1988P22>{{harvnb|Brown|1988|p=22}}.</ref> Richard's government gave the castle to [[John V, Duke of Brittany|John]], the [[Duke of Brittany]], in 1378, in exchange for the [[Château de Brest]].<ref name=Brown1988P22/> Richard subsequently gave the reversion of the castle first to his uncle [[Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester|Thomas]], [[Duke of Gloucester]], in 1386, and then to another uncle, [[Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York|Edmund]], [[Duke of York]] in 1397.<ref name=Brown1988P22/> Shortly after Richard was overthrown, the courts declared these grants to have been illegal, and returned the castle to the Duchy in 1403, then in the possession of the future [[Henry V of England|Henry V]].<ref name=Brown1988P22/>