Castle Godwyn, Painswick

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameCastle Godwyn, Painswick
Alternative NamesParadise Farm
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityGloucestershire
1974 AuthorityGloucestershire
Civil ParishPainswick

The mound in the garden of Castle Godwyn was examined at the request of Mrs Clifford by Sir Cyril Fox, who pronounced it to be a Norman motte. It is known as the Great Home Knowle, and was formerly thought to be a long barrow (oral information; Baddeley). (PastScape)

a good site, but no ditch and little sign of artificial defences. (King 1983)

Gatehouse Comments

The house name is fairly recent and previously the house was called Paradise Farm and dates from the late C17 and early C18. Seemingly scheduled as a castle although the evidence for this seems to be purely the opinion of Sir Cyril Fox based on visual examination only (How much Fox was influenced by good manners to Mrs Clifford who seems to have, based on renaming the house Castle Godwyn, wanted to have an 'ancinet' history for her house may be open to question). Clearly David King was not so convinced. This does not seem to be a 'good' site; it is not a manorial centre, has no significant strategic value and is overlooked by 'The Castles' Iron Age hillfort. Possibly a garden mound, tree mount or alternatively a barrow as suggested by Baddeley in 1928. The scheduling report is an old one and the site should be reassessed.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO871115
Latitude51.8027114868164
Longitude-2.1881799697876
Eastings387120
Northings211580
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 184
  • Herbert, N.M. (ed), 1976, VCH Gloucestershire Vol. 11 p. 56- (later history only) online transcription

Journals

  • Rawes, B., 1977, 'A Check List of Castles and other Fortified Sites of Medieval Date in Gloucestershire' Glevensis Vol. 11 p. 39-41 online copy
  • Baddeley, W.St.Clair, 1928, 'Proceedings at the Annual Summer Meeting at Stroud, 3-5 July 1928' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol. 50 p. 28 online copy