Staunton Coleford Castle Field

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameStaunton Coleford Castle Field
Alternative NamesThe Castle Meadow; Castle ditch
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityGloucestershire
1974 AuthorityGloucestershire
Civil ParishStaunton Coleford

(Area SO 550125) The site (possibly moated) of the manor-house of Staunton lies in a field called "the Castle Meadow" 100 yards SW of Staunton church. The field is rectangular in shape and is bounded on the SW side by a deep ditch. By the time of Elizabeth the buildings were in ruins and by the mid-19th century nothing was visible above ground. Excavations in 1882 revealed animal bones, sherds of coarse pottery, some small pieces of "brass trellis" and a piece of worked stone possibly part of a column (TBGAS 1881-2: Maclean 1882-3).

Area SO 549125 The site occurs on a gentle S-facing slope. There are no traces of any building within Castle Meadow and the ditch on the SW side is a hollow-way carrying a farm track. Local enquiries elicited no further information (F1 FKB 10-OCT-70).

This site was surveyed from aerial photographs at 1:10,000 scale as part of the English Heritage: Gloucestershire NMP project. No obvious remains of the manor house described by the previous authorities could be detected, but immediately to the south of the site of the house the faint earthwork remains of up to four parallel banks or slight terraces were detected. These could be found continuing in the next field to the west where a ditch was also recorded running parallel to the banks. This ditch appeared to lead from the site of Brindsey's Well. It is possible that these features are associated with the site or perhaps represent the remains of Medieval or Post Medieval garden features (APs). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Slight earthworks of probably moated manor house site associated with 'castle' field name. Nothing to suggest this manor house was significantly defended or particularly grand in architectural style. Staunton was a bailiwick of the Forest of Dean and the castle name may have originated from this being the administrative centre of that bailiwick rather than from the usual manorial administrative function. It is possible some other bailiwicks of the Forest had centres with 'castle' names; see Mosleyescastel and Seynteleyscastel.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO549125
Latitude51.8093109130859
Longitude-2.65555000305176
Eastings354900
Northings212500
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Currie, C.R.J. and Herbert, N.M. (eds), 1996, VCH Gloucestershire Vol. 5 p. 272- 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
  • Maclean, J., 1882-3, 'History of the Manor and Advowson of Staunton, in the Forest of Dean' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol. 7 p. 227 online copy
  • 1881-2, 'Transactions at Staunton and Newland' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol. 6 p. 359 online copy