WHAT IS 'A LICENCE TO CRENELLATE?'

It means that a licence was granted to build, in this case Chillingham Castle.

However, permission could have been granted by somebody other than the King, a Bishop for example.

Further, the date of the 'Licence To Crenellate' didn't always reflect the actual date of the Castle building.

As for the torture of the child, all I can add is that we were a very cruel lot in those days, maybe we still are!

Charles Coulson, an authority on medieval defensive architecture, and certainly the authority on the subject of the licensing of crenellations, states the following (paraphrased from his article):

“The king's right as overlord to license was a right to grant, not to refuse, permission to crenellate" (Coulson 1982, 70). “In reality, no feudal or sub-feudal ruler could either in law or in practice deny to his vassal the protection by self-help fortifying which he, as lord, had failed to provide." (Coulson 1982, 97--note #10).  

From:  Coulson, Charles. "Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation.” Medieval Archaeology 26: 69-100. [Downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]

Of course, in the article he is dealing with conventual buildings (those buildings attached or belonging to a convent or monastery), but the same held true for secular defensive architecture.

Thank you all for such terrific and thorough answers to the question.  It does seem in our own time a little peculiar to think a licence to crenellate (since not required) would be so important 7 or 800 years ago.  It seems the love of bureaucracy continues.

Ron, I don't believe the English are any crueler than any other tribe.  Think of the past 15 yrs.--Kosovo, Bosnia, Rwanda, 11 September 2001, Iraq, Afghanistan and on it goes.  It is the individual choice each person makes whether to side with evil (which includes avarice and overweaning ambition) or to take the high road.  We know which way most take, but there are those now or 800 years ago who chose to turn their backs on evil.  I would imagine the master of Chillingham castle chose the wrong way, but probably enjoyed a prestigious and long, healthy life.

Linda-Mary:

Does your decision to not visit Chillingham Castle have to do with the fact that a child was tortured there, or the fact that displayed bones of the child are being exploited for the tourist trade?