Brailes Castle Hill Motte
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Brailes Castle Hill Motte |
| Alternative Names | |
| Historic Country | Warwickshire |
| Modern Authority | Warwickshire |
| 1974 Authority | Warwickshire |
| Civil Parish | Brailes |
Earthwork and buried remains of a motte castle, known as Castle Hill Motte. In the early to mid-C12 Brailes was part of the domain of Robert Newburgh, Earl of Warwick, and the construction of the castle has been attributed to him. The motte is sited on a natural knoll whose summit has been reshaped to some extent and artificially raised to create the flat-topped mound. It measures 24m across its top with traces of a low bank around its outside edge and is surrounded by a 2.5m wide ditch. The motte stands on an oval-shaped platform which has been formed by modifying the sides of the hill to create a levelled area around the motte. Immediately to the north, west and south west is a further terraced area which, together with the platform, are believed to have formed a series of outworks around the motte and will have provided a fairly sophisticated means of access to the mound itself. (PastScape)
Castle Hill Motte, together with its associated outworks, survives well and represents a good example of this type of monument. Buried archaeological deposits relating to both the construction of the castle and the activities of its inhabitants will survive within the motte ditch and the mound itself providing valuable information on the wealth and status of the castle's inhabitants.
The monument is situated on the east side of the village of Upper Brailes and includes the earthwork and buried remains of a motte castle, known as Castle Hill Motte. In the early to mid-12th century Brailes was part of the domain of Robert Newburgh, Earl of Warwick, and the construction of the castle has been attributed to him.
The motte is sited on a natural knoll whose summit has been reshaped to some extent and artificially raised to create the flat-topped mound. It measures approximately 24m across its top with traces of a low bank around its outside edge and is surrounded by a 2.5m wide ditch
The motte stands on an oval-shaped platform which has been formed by modifying the sides of the hill to create a levelled area around the motte. Immediately to the north, west and south west is a further terraced area which, together with the platform, are believed to have formed a series of outworks around the motte and will have provided a fairly sophisticated means of access to the mound itself. (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 | SP307400 |
| Latitude | 52.0582008361816 |
| Longitude | -1.55273997783661 |
| Eastings | 430770 |
| Northings | 240070 |
