Fotheringhay Castle bridge. Little is known about the structural history of the castle while Langley was the owner in the 14th century; however, it is thought that he was responsible for building the outer bailey and partially filling the eastern part of the ditch surrounding the motte. The motte is in diameter at the base and across the flat top, some above ground level. The inner bailey is broadly rectangular and measures approximately . Fotheringhay Castle Fotheringhay Castle (also Fotheringay Castle) was in the village of Fotheringhay to the north of the market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire (). It was probably founded
Mary, Queen of Scots of England, Elizabeth was recognised as her sister's heir, and Henry VIII's last will and testament had excluded the Stuarts from succeeding to the English throne. Yet, in the eyes of many Catholics, Elizabeth was illegitimate, and Mary Stuart, as the senior descendant of Henry VIII's elder sister, was the rightful queen of England. Henry II of France proclaimed his eldest son and daughter-in-law king and queen of England, and in France the royal arms of England were quartered with those of Francis and Mary. Mary's claim to the English throne was a perennial sticking point between her and Elizabeth