Radmore

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Other/Unknown), and also as a Questionable Palace (Royal/Bishop), and also as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameRadmore
Alternative NamesRed Moor; Redmoor; Redmoore; Rademore; Ann's Well in Court Bank's Covert; Courtbanks Covert
Historic CountryStaffordshire
Modern AuthorityStaffordshire
1974 AuthorityStaffordshire
Civil ParishCannock Wood

Moat, probably the site of a royal hunting lodge built by Henry II in 1157-8 and later used as a private hunting lodge by the Bishops of Lichfield.

Duignan associates this moat with the site of the King's House at Redmore, mentioned 1155 and later (Pipe Rolls). In 1160, a fishpond was mentioned. About 200 yards north-east from the moat a dam has been thrown across the valley : this may be the remains of the fish-pond (Duignan 1884).

A large rectangular homestead moat constructed across the bottom of the valley of the Redmoor Brook. It is in fairly good condition and is now practically dry. No evidence of a building was seen.

At SK 04371190 is a large earthen pond-bay across a small stream. This may mark the site of the fish-pond but there has been iron-working in the immediate vicinity of the moat, see SK 01 SW 8, and this pond-bay is possibly associated with it (F1 WCW 05-MAY-58).

In 1154, the monks of Red Moor Abbey in Cannock Forest (SK01SW10) petitioned the King to move them to a new site. Following their departure, the king created a royal hunting lodge in the chase, presumably on the site of the abbey. Early in the reign of Henry III, the Bishop of Lichfield appropriated most of the forest, and his successors succeeded in obtaining recognition of its conversion to a private chase. The site of the hunting lodge is still visible as a rectangular moated enclosure known as 'Moat Bank' in Courtbanks Covert, Radmore (HKW).

As a consequence of the extensive drainage and clearance work now being undertaken in Courtbanks Covert, the channel of the Redmoor Brook has been re-cut where it runs through the SW and part of the SE arms of the moat (F2 DJC 20-AUG-74). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Another possible site for the castle of Cannock mentioned, as there being records of a castle, in 1851, though may be farmstead moat or monastic grange. Duignan records expenditure of £8 in 1162 on a fishpond at Radmore and on this bases puts the kings house here rather than at Castle Ring. The History of the King's Works records this as successor to the King's lodge of Cannock. However, it should be noted the reason the monks moved 'as a result of the oppressions of the foresters who rode there every week' suggesting there was a hunting lodge in the area before the monks moved and the use of the Radmore site may have been as ancillary accommodation to the Castle Ring site. It is possible that both Duignan and HKW thought of Castle Ring as a pre-historic hill fort only and were unaware of the remains of sizeable medieval buildings within the hill fort.

- 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 ReferenceSK042117
Latitude52.7025985717773
Longitude-1.93792998790741
Eastings404290
Northings311700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 39
  • Greenslade, M.W. and Pugh, R.B. (eds), 1970, VCH Staffordshire Vol. 3 p. 225 (on Cisterican monastry) online transcription
  • Greenslade, M.W., 1967, in Greenslade, M.W. and Jenkins, J.G. (eds), VCH Staffordshire Vol. 2 p. 338- (for history of Cannock Forest and Foresters))
  • Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 988-9
  • Greenslade, M.W. and Midgley, L.M., 1959 in Midgley, L.M. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol. 5 p. 57 - online transcription
  • Lynam, Charles, 1908, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Page, Wm. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol. 1 p. 359 (homestead moat) online copy
  • Shaw, Stebbing, 1801, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire (J.Nichols and Son) (Republished 1976 by EP Publishing) Vol. 2 p. 313

Journals

  • Cockin, G.M., 1906, 'The Ancient Industries of Cannock Chase' Transactions of the Burton on Trent Natural History and Archaeologial Society Vol. 5.2 p. 127 online copy
  • Duignan, W.H., 1884, 'On The King's house and The Priory at Radmore, on Cannock Chase' The Midland Antiquary Vol. 3 p. 58-66