Pennerley; The Knapp

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Ringwork)

There are earthwork remains

NamePennerley; The Knapp
Alternative NamesThe Napp
Historic CountryShropshire
Modern AuthorityShropshire
1974 AuthorityShropshire
Civil ParishWorthen With Shelve

Small mutilated Medieval motte surviving as a largely natural mound. Thought originally to have been a barrow with a slab visible at the top interpreted as a cist. There is an alleged unfinished bailey to north though this is not proven. The mound, which is largely natural, has a base diameter of about 25m and a height of 4.8m on the west side. Around the north side of the summit, which has a diameter of 10m, is an earthen bank, 4m wide and 0.7m high, which may be a ringwork. There are no traces of a bailey. (PastScape)

The Knapp, a round barrow. From The Knapp a (? natural) mound 15 yards wide extends 39 yards north from the hedge. Further down the hill (SO 35169938) is a very low circular bank 13 ft in diameter with three very small stones across it (Annotated Record Map L F Chitty 30.3.49).

Certainly a motte, with bailey, perhaps unfinished, to the north. Visited with N Thomas and J Holmes 31.8.58. (F1 ALFR 11-SEP-58).

At SO 35139936 is what appears to be a natural mound, bounded on its north and east by three straight sections of low bank.

The Knapp is scheduled as a round barrow, and is not included by Hogg and C King in their list of Welsh border castles (Arch Camb 112 & 119).

A small, mutilated motte situated upon the S end of a small, natural ridge, with commanding views in all directions. The mound, which is largely natural, has a base diameter of about 25.0m and a height of 4.8m on the W side. The S side has been cut about by the construction of a cottage, The Napp, and its boundary fences and banks. Around the N side of the summit, which has a diameter of 10.0m, is an earthen bank, 4.0m wide, 0.7m high, which may be evidence for this work being a ring work, the interior being about 2.0m above the level of the ridge to the N, or it may result from excavation into the mound from the S, for soil

There are no traces of a bailey, the ridge to the N being entirely natural.

Nothing was seen on the ground of the 'straight sections of low bank' nor of the circular bank, the field is of hummocky rough pasture which slopes to the W, N and E around the end of the ridge (F2 ASP 03-DEC-73). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Not included by King in his lists of castles and some doubt does exists about this site which is scheduled as a bowl barrow but marked on the OS map as a motte. However could well be a 'knight's fee' farmstead motte either a new build or as an adapted old mound although Gatehouse is unable to identify a tenurial history for the site.

- Philip Davis

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 ReferenceSO351993
Latitude52.5879211425781
Longitude-2.95912003517151
Eastings335120
Northings299330
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p. 126
  • Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 88 (slight)
  • Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p. 45
  • Wall (after Downham), 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol. 1 p. 412

Other

  • Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission, 1987, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 30429 (01/05/1986)