Weston Jones Motte

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameWeston Jones Motte
Alternative Names
Historic CountryStaffordshire
Modern AuthorityStaffordshire
1974 AuthorityStaffordshire
Civil ParishNorbury

"Early burial mound or low". Gregory, 1/4 mile NE of Weston Jones, in Weston Jones parish. Oval, diameters 180 ft & 150 ft, 8 ft high. Altitude 300 ft. (VCH)

Small oval field shown and described as "Castle Bank." (Tithe Map, Weston Jones, 1844)

Large oval mound situated on low-lying ground on the flood plain of a small stream. The mound is flat topped and measures 67m by 50m by 2.5m high. There are remains of a ditch with outer bank on the NW & SE quadrants. There is no certain evidence of a bailey.

The field name - 'Castle Bank' - suggests that this may be a castle mound but the poor topographical position makes this uncertain. (F1 VGB 08-AUG-58)

No change: published 1:2500 survey correct. Probably a low motte without bailey. (F2 ASP 20-SEP-74)

An early circular motte at Weston Jones. (Palliser) (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Isolated mound, and probably even more isolated in medieval times when the surround land may well have been marshy, suggesting the mound is a practical building platform, designed to get a house out of waterlogged ground rather than a defensive feature. However, the expense of such construction, and the associated castle placename, may well suggest this was the site of a manor house of, at least, knightly status. While marsh might been seen as useless land it actually contained a number of valuable resources, not least of which was water fowl (Defined by custom as a type of fish and therefore something that could be consumed on 'fast' days - which in medieval times were not just Fridays and the whole of Lent but also Wednesdays, Saturdays and Advent. There is some discussion as to how awful freshwater fish actually are to eat but most people do prefer duck and waterfowl is certainly easier to prepare than most freshwater fish).

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSJ767242
Latitude52.8155288696289
Longitude-2.34587001800537
Eastings376780
Northings324270
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 62
  • Burne, S.A.H., 1958, in Midgley, L.M. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol. 4 p. 155 (where called a motte)
  • Lynam, Charles, 1908, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Page, Wm. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol. 1 p. 378 (as burial mound) online copy

Journals

  • Palliser, D.M., 1972, 'Staffordshire Castles: A Provisional List' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol. 1 p. 5-8