Pleasance In The Marsh

Pleasance In The Marsh are the remains of a moated hall located close to Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire.

The hall was built by Henry V in 1414 and was known as 'Le plesans en marys'. The hall was constructed at the edge of the Great Mere, the lake built to protect the castle and was used by royalty in preference to the state apartments at Kenilworth Castle. The Pleasance was protected by a double moat and a stone wall. The only way to reach the hall was by boat, evidence of a landing stage has been found, but a bridge may have been constructed later.

The Pleasance was abandoned during the reign of Henry VIII, its timber banqueting hall was dismantled and rebuilt inside Kenilworth Castle. The remains of the mediaeval earthworks were excavated in 1923.

At the present time all that remains of the earthwork is a square approx 100 yards each way, surrounded by a wide and partially double moat.