Lemore Martins Castle, Eardisley

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

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameLemore Martins Castle, Eardisley
Alternative NamesLa More; Lenmore; Walelege
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishEardisley

Earthwork or moat forms a circular enclosure surrounded by partly wet ditch (RCHME; HAN, 1999) La More. Symbol for fortress, fortified manor house or castle site abandoned by C14 (Rees) Small dry, oval shaped homestead moat. Measures overall 48m (NW-SE) x 38m transverse. Ditch 7-10m wide, average 1m deep. On S side reduced by ploughing otherwise in fair condition (OS) Comments and speculation about the site by R.Stirling-Brown. Note is made of the evidence for a polygonal wall foundation probably revetting the mound. The complete structure was possibly a shell keep. There is evidence also of buried stone indicating possible further structures. (HAN, 1991) (Herefordshire SMR)

Gatehouse Comments

Possible motte and bailey possibly with shell keep rising directly from moat. Reject by King as only a moat who, presumably, considered the supposed shell keep as merely moat revetment. Suggested as a possible site of recorded domus defensabilis of Walelege

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO310517
Latitude52.1594314575195
Longitude-3.00976991653442
Eastings331020
Northings251720
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p. 108-9
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 47
  • Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 5 (plan)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 214 (reject)
  • 1981, Herefordshire Countryside Treasures (Hereford and Worcester County Council) p. 19
  • RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 56 No. 70 online transcription
  • Rees, Wm, 1932, Map of South Wales and the Border in the 14th century (Ordnance Survey) (A handbook to the map was published in 1933)
  • Gould, I. Chalkley, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Herefordshire Vol. 1 p. 226-7 (plan)

Journals

  • Archaeological Research Section Woolhope NFC, 1999, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 70 p. 1-2, 50 (plan)
  • 1992, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 57 p. 43
  • Halliwell, P.R. (ed), 1991, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 55 p. 28-30 (plan)
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124 (reject)