Mere Castle

Has been described as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameMere Castle
Alternative NamesHough Hall; Strethul
Historic CountryCheshire
Modern AuthorityCheshire
1974 AuthorityCheshire
Civil ParishMere

Leland records 'The ditches and the plot where the castle of Mere stood' The only existing feature in the parish of Mere is Hough Hall recorded in PastScape as 'A moat with a platform roughly 30m square and a ditch 12-14m on three sides, now dry, but water-filled until 1938. A very wide ditch and arm 19-24m wide on the North-West side appears to be a fishpond. Ridge and furrow runs from the South-East to the North-West over the entire moat.'

Gatehouse Comments

The association of this site with Leland's report has not been taken up by other authors and is weak. The general location and the site itself are that of a homestead moat of moderate social status. Leland may have been referring to another, now lost, site or this site had been given a grandiose 'history'.

- 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 ReferenceSJ721833
Latitude53.346321105957
Longitude-2.41950011253357
Eastings372160
Northings383350
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

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Antiquarian

  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 5 p. 223 online copy

Journals

  • Higham, N.J., 1988, 'Hough Hall: Trial Excavation of a Moated Platform in Mere Township' Medieval Settlement Research Group Annual Report Vol. 3 p. 20 online copy
  • 1984, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol. 11 p. 5-7
  • Wilson, D., 1979, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol. 6 p. 8-9
  • Ormerod, G., 1819, History of the County Palatine and city of Chester (London) Vol. 1 p. 359-63 (tenurial history) online copy