Castlefacts³

Godshill Castle Hill, Woodgreen

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Ringwork), and also as a Certain Masonry Castle, and also as a Possible Siege Work

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

Name	Godshill Castle Hill, Woodgreen
Alternative Names	Fordingbridge
Historic Country	Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
Modern Authority	Hampshire
1974 Authority	Hampshire
Civil Parish	Woodgreen

The keep at the south-west end of the entrenchment, is surrounded on all sides, except the Avon, by a low bank. On the south-west side it is surrounded by a moat and outer bank behind the modern farmhouse. A depression, most likely the well, is at the west corner of the keep. The bailey, north-east of the keep, is cut off by a bank & ditch; beyond this there are indications of another bailey. There is a tradition of stones having been taken from this site to build a chapel (Williams-Freeman 1915).

An unusual earthwork comprising an oval ring motte with smaller outer bailey to the north-east and a possible further bailey, now much destroyed by quarrying, to the north-east again. The work is situated on the south-western end of a prominent spur above the River Avon.

It is generally as described by Williams-Freeman; the supposed moat to the south-west of the farm-house may be an outer ditch but is more likely a hollow-way: it was never water-filled as it lies well above the river. Some 300 metres to the north-east of the motte, along the summit of the spur, is a fairly substantial cross-ridge bank some 26.0m in length and 12.0m wide and up to 1.4m in height, with traces of a ditch on its outer side. It is almost certainly an outer defence of the work (F1 FGA 28-APR-69).

It is suggested that this work was the siege castle built against Downton in 1148 (Creighton). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

5.5Km downstream from Downton Moot Close where it might, conceivable, control the river access but might be the wrong side of the river to control the major road. The ringwork form is certainly that used by other siege castles (i.e. Exeter Danes castle or The Rings at Corfe) but also by residential castles. The report of masonry might represent a stone building (?chapel) within timber defences rather than strong masonry work but this would certainly not be a feature of a temporary siege castle. Did this castle in fact start as a lodge of a bailiff of the New Forest; later becoming the manor of Fold?

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

217139

County Historic Environment Record

historicenvironment.hants.gov.uk/AHBSearch.aspx

OS Map Grid Reference	SU166161
Latitude	50.9447288513184
Longitude	-1.76421999931335
Eastings	416660
Northings	116170