Weston Turville; The Mount

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameWeston Turville; The Mount
Alternative NamesWest Turville; Weston Molyns; Manor House
Historic CountryBuckinghamshire
Modern AuthorityBuckinghamshire
1974 AuthorityBuckinghamshire
Civil ParishWeston Turville

Motte and twin baileys. The works apparently consisted of a motte with surrounding ditch and a bailey to the south of the motte; of a second bailey on the east, only a part of the ditch remains. Renn found a fragment of Saxo-Norman pottery here and gave it to Aylesbury Museum. There are two references to a castle here in C12, one to its slighting in 1173-4. The motte is 60m in diameter and 5m high, with a ditch 2.4m deep around the east arc. The southern bailey is 80m by 70m and is enclosed by a ditch 1.8m deep. The eastern bailey is 80m by 50 and is defended by a ditch, 2m in maximum depth, with an inner bank, now 0.5m high. (PastScape)

The motte was dismantled on the orders of Henry II in 1173. (PastScape ref. King)

Gatehouse Comments

The order to 'dismantle' the motte in 1173 does not mean this site did not continue to be the manorial centre or a lordly residence, although the house and offices are likely to have been buildings within the baileys rather than anything on the motte. It is likely this is the site for for which a licence to crenellate was granted in 1334 to John de Moleyns and his wife. It is unlikely that the motte or even the bailey was refortified at this time, although some rebuilding of the house by the wealthy Treasurer of England is entirely possible. An early C18 manor house sits in the bailey of the castle and this may well be the site of Molyns house. The agreement between Geoffrey de Turville and John of the Lee (see Jenkins, 1938) where Geoffrey gave John one hide of demense land for service of castle guard at Weston is an exceptionally rare document. This seems to date from the 1140's and may represent social climbing by both men during a period of central government instability. Was the action taken in 1173 one designed to put Geoffrey back into his proper place?

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP859104
Latitude51.7860908508301
Longitude-0.756089985370636
Eastings485900
Northings210400
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 37
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 10 (slight)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 28-29 (Called Manor House)
  • Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 317
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 344
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1960, Buildings of England: Buckinghamshire (Harmondsworth) p. 282
  • RCHME, 1912, An inventory of the historical monuments in Buckinghamshire Vol. 1 (south) p. 316 online copy
  • Page, Wm (ed), 1908, VCH Buckinghamshire Vol. 2 p. 324 online transcription
  • Ditchfield, P.H. and Page, Wm (ed), 1906, VCH Berkshire Vol. 1 p. 316
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 148 online copy
  • Sheahan, J., 1862, History and Topography of Buckinghamshire (London) p. 215 online copy
  • Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol. 3 Part 2 p. 410 online copy

Journals

  • 1989, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 19 p. 14 online copy
  • 1988, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 18 p. 27 online copy
  • Hagerty, R.P., 1986, 'The Turvilles and the castle of Weston Turville' Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 28 p. 179-81
  • Yeoman, P.A.St J., 1986, 'Excavations at the motte, Weston Turville Manor, 1985' Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 28 p. 169-78
  • Yeoman, P.A., 1986, 'Excavations at the Manor House, Weston Turville' South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter Vol. 16 p. 41-2 online copy
  • Farley M., 1985, Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 27 p. 132
  • Brown, R. Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)
  • 1922, 'Gold ring found at Weston Turville' Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 11.4 p. 220-1 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Jenkins, J.G. (ed), 1938, Cartulary of Missenden Abbey Part 1 (Buckinghamshire Records Society 2) p. 220-2 (Castle guard agreement) online copy
  • Stenton, F.M. (ed), 1932, The First Century of English Feudalism, 1066-1166 (Oxford) p. 281
  • 1896, The Great Roll of the Pipe for the twentieth year of the reign of King Henry the Second, A.D. 1173-1174 (Pipe Roll Society Publications 21) p. 82 online copy
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1893, Calendar of Patent Rolls Edward III (1330-34) Vol. 2 p. 493 online copy