Caswell Moat, Leominster

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are no visible remains

NameCaswell Moat, Leominster
Alternative NamesCastle Moat
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishLeominster

"Castle" Moat, 800 yards S of church, 4 sided enclosure surrounded by a dry moat (RCHME) A rescue excavation in advance of building, produced no stonework. Extensive excavations at Castle (corruption of Caswell) moat disclosed no trace of buildings and it must now be presumed to be stock enclosure. Earlier than the moat were a pond? (traced by resistivity survey) and a moat arm. In the filling of each a coin of Eliz I and building rubbish.

Descheduled 1965

"John Hurst looked over the pottery in 1962 seeing only scraps of medieval pottery with 17th-18th century groups such as purple glazed tygs, Westerwald, bellarmines. There were a few glazed floor tiles, also crested ridge tiles.... clay tobacco pipes, many with makers stamps. The assemblage is very small and sherds invariably small." - correspondence from excavator. Substantial earthworks were excavated by Margaret Jones in 1962 before the site was developed. The records and finds, including bone, were reassessed and written up by Derek Hurst under the auspices of the Leominster Historical Society. The earthworks were interpreted as a moat of 14th to 15th century in date, though few structures were defined. Two large ponds were identified on the platform of the moat. It may have belonged to Leominster Priory and been used as a fish farm. It went out of use in 1600 and was filled with medieval building material. The ponds continued to fill in the 17th and 18th centuries. The rubbish included pottery produced in north Herefordshire. Occupation ceased in the 19th century and land drains were lain over the site. (Herefordshire SMR)

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO498585
Latitude52.2226600646973
Longitude-2.73495006561279
Eastings349870
Northings258520
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p. 196
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 74 (slight)
  • Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 11
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 214 (reject)
  • RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 115 no. 4 online transcription

Journals

  • Hurst, Derek, 2002, 'Castle Moat Leominster, Excavation by Margaret Jones in 1962' Leominster History Study Group
  • 1966, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 1 p. 1
  • Hurst, D. Gillian, 1964, 'Medieval Britain in 1962 and 1963, II. Post-Conquest' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 8 p. 271 online copy
  • Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club Vol. 37

Other

  • Dalwood, H. and Bryant, V. (eds), 2005, The Central Marches Historic Towns Survey 1992-6 Download online copy