Ravenstone Castle

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

There are no visible remains

NameRavenstone Castle
Alternative Names
Historic CountryLeicestershire
Modern AuthorityLeicestershire
1974 AuthorityLeicestershire
Civil ParishRavenstone With Snibstone

A 'castle' at Ravenstone is documented in 1149-53 when, in a Treaty between the Earls of Chester and Leicester, it was agreed to destroy it.

Possible Medieval moat, suggested castle site, and fishponds. A castle is mentioned at Ravenstone between 1148 and 1153. Field investigation in 1972 found only a marshy tract and the fragmentary remains of fishponds. If a ditch for a moat ever existed it must have been mainly dry. (PastScape)

The earls of Chester and Leicester had each acquired a small estate in Ravenstone. (King, 1980, p. 4 Ref. Leics Survey p. 47)

Gatehouse Comments

Renn locates this at SK411131, which McWhirr and Winter writes 'is in fact a moated site and fieldwork has failed to reveal any evidence of a castle' although this may say something about preconceptions as to what the destroyed 'castle' was. Nichols writes "on the north side of the town stood an ancient castle which was destroyed... in the reign of King Henry II" Nichols was not the best historian but this location would site the castle at or near the site of Ravenstone Hall. A critical re-examination of the original source, in light of broader ideas of the form and functions of 'castles' is probably required. It may well be there where two manors at Ravenstone and that there were conflicts in the management of these estates (issues such as servile duties). In does not seem likely that either manor was a significantly fortified site, because of the expense of providing the garrison and because of the lack of remains, although some ditching, embankments and palisading would be likely at both. Calling a modest manor house a 'castle' might have more to do with the dignity of the noble status of an Earl and/or a negotiation ploy/embellishment rather than being a description of the form of the building structure. Gatehouse favours Ravenstone Hall as the site for the 'castle', a small and slight mound in the church yard, suggested as an alternative, appears most unlikely.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSK400139
Latitude52.7217216491699
Longitude-1.4084700345993
Eastings440050
Northings313950
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Knox, Richard, 2015, 'The medieval fortified sites of Leicestershire and Rutland' in Medieval Leicestershire: Recent research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicester (Liecestershire Fieldworks 3) p. 123-42
  • Coulson, Charles, 1994, 'The Castles of the Anarchy' in King, Edmund (ed.), The Anarchy of King Stephen's Reign (Oxford University Press) p. 73
  • Hartley, R. F., 1984, The Mediaeval Earthworks of North West Leicestershire, A survey (Leicester)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 256
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 290
  • Slade, C.F., 1956, The Leicestershire Survey (Univ of Leicester, Dept. of English Local History, Occasional Papers 7)
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Wall, C., 1907, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Page, Wm, (ed), VCH Leicestershire Vol. 1 p. 264 online copy
  • Nichols, J., 1804, The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire Vol. 2 p. 2

Journals

  • Coulson, Charles, 1995, 'The French Matrix of the Castle-Provisions of the Chester-Leicester conventio' Anglo-Norman Studies Vol. 17 p. 65-86
  • King, Edmund, 1980, 'Mountsorrel and Its Region in King Stephen's Reign' Huntington Library Quarterly Vol. 44, No. 1 p. 1-10 view online copy (subscription required)
  • McWhirr, A.D. and Winter, M.J., 1978-79, 'Medieval Castles Additional Information' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 54 p. 74-75 online copy
  • Cantor, Leonard, 1977-8, 'The Medieval Castles of Leicestershire' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 53 p. 37 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Stenton, F., 1961 (2edn), The First Century of English Feudalism 1066-1166 (Oxford: Clarendon Press) p. 250-4 (trans), 286-8 (text)

Other

  • Creighton, O.H., 1998, Castles and Landscapes: An Archaeological Survey of Yorkshire and the East Midlands (PhD Thesis University of Leicester) p. 395 online copy