Dymock Castle Tump
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Dymock Castle Tump |
| Alternative Names | Dimoc; Castletump; Aylesmore |
| Historic Country | Gloucestershire |
| Modern Authority | Gloucestershire |
| 1974 Authority | Gloucestershire |
| Civil Parish | Dymock |
The motte and bailey castle known as Castle Tump survives well as an impressive monument. Motte and bailey castles such as this proliferated after the Norman Conquest, and their distribution marks the progress of the Norman campaigns in the years after the Conquest. In addition, the earthworks of the castle will contain archaeological information and environmental evidence relating to its construction, the way of life of the inhabitants, and will preserve evidence of changes in the use of the site over time.
The monument includes a motte and bailey castle situated on high ground, known as Castle Tump. The castle was granted temporarily to William de Braose between 1148 and 1154 by Roger, Earl of Hereford. The motte was considered to be a meeting place for Botloes Hundred. The visible remains include the large mound of the motte, with the flattened area of the bailey surrounding it and extending to the south. The motte stands to about 14m, and has a flattened top about 8m in diameter. There are no signs of any structures on top of the mound, although these will survive as buried features. About 6m from the base of the motte on its north side is a bank generally about 1m high, but rising to 2m high in places, which now forms a field boundary. This was the boundary of the bailey on this side. The bailey follows the field boundary around to the south shelving off sharply beyond this. On the south side the change in levels between the bailey and the land outside is about 2.5m, and the bailey appears to have been terraced. It is reported that a double bank on the line of the bailey was removed in 1946-47. About 5m from the base of the motte on its north west side is a pond 15m long, 3m wide and about 0.7m deep, thought to be spring fed, which may be the remains of the moat which would have encircled the motte
(Scheduling Report)
it is said that one of the Bohuns, earls of Hereford, built a castle here; but there is no vestiges remaining, except the castle-rock and the castle-tump. The tump is a round mount on the borders of the parish next to Newent, thrown up by hands, with an area at top, by such too small for a building of any great strength. (Rudder)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law
Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | SO711293 |
| Latitude | 51.9617500305176 |
| Longitude | -2.42097997665405 |
| Eastings | 371160 |
| Northings | 229340 |
