Mount Ferrant Castle
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Mount Ferrant Castle |
| Alternative Names | Burythorpe; Mountferaunt |
| Historic Country | Yorkshire |
| Modern Authority | North Yorkshire |
| 1974 Authority | North Yorkshire |
| Civil Parish | Birdsall |
A motte and bailey castle situated on a narrow promontory projecting westwards from the foot of Birdsall Brow. This spur, with steep scarps on three sides, offers a naturally defensive position and only slight additional fortification was required. Because of the topography of the site, the motte and bailey has an unusual form but the essential elements of this type of castle, a main stronghold and one or more outer courts, have been identified. The spine of the promontory rises gradually from east to west and its highest point, a slight knoll near the western end, served as the motte; although there is no evidence that the top of the knoll has been artificially raised, it was made more defensible by a 2.5m deep ditch on the eastern side and a corresponding but slightly shallower ditch on the western side. To the east of the motte, the promontory is divided into three baileys by earthworks cut transversely across the ridge. The western bailey is at a slightly lower level than the motte and measures 50m by 50m across, its eastern edge is marked by a 5m high scarp to the base of a ditch. This ditch is 25m wide and its 2m high eastern scarp rises to the middle bailey, a relatively flat area measuring 100m east-west and up to 60m north-south. The eastern bailey is separated from the middle bailey by a slight ditch and measures 200m east-west by 100m north-south; the ground falls quite steeply to the east where the promontory joins the foot of the Wold scarp. Here the existing field boundary incorporates the outer defences of the bailey; these take the form of a 2m high earthen bank with a 10m wide outer ditch which lie across the narrow neck of the promontory. The construction of the castle is attributed to Nigel Fossard. There is documentary evidence that the castle was constructed largely of wood. It must have fallen out of use by 1150 when it was dismantled and timbers were given to monks for their building works at the newly founded abbey of Meaux
The destruction was completed, in around 1173, by Henry II to punish the young Lord William Fossard. Commanding views over the surrounding countryside are possible from the highest point of the castle; it overlooks the Roman road to Malton which runs just over 100m to the west of the castle and which will have remained as a strategically important routeway in the medieval period. (Scheduling Report)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | SE795639 |
| Latitude | 54.0649108886719 |
| Longitude | -0.786159992218018 |
| Eastings | 479540 |
| Northings | 463900 |
