Liversedge Castle Hill

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Motte)

There are no visible remains

NameLiversedge Castle Hill
Alternative Names
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityKirklees
1974 AuthorityWest Yorkshire
Civil ParishBatley and Liversedge

Clark, in his list of moated mounds or burhs, records 'Liversedge.–Castle hill.'

SE21252480. C19 field and house names contain place name elements which may indicate former status as defended site. Additionally there are C14 and C15 documentary references to a messuage called Castel or Castel House. Situated on south-facing spur. Area still largely open ground.

Site visit by Ian Sanderson (WYAAS) in October 1998. There is a pronounced knoll to the south of Castle House which has a very steep scarp to the west and south – this is the Gomersal/Liversedge township boundary- and appears to be the line of a fault (drift sheet 77). The eastern edge of the area appears to be defined by the remains of a low earthwork bank (when viewed from Oxford Road to the east). There are no signs of 'internal' earthworks, but there are discrete patches of nettles among what is otherwise knee-high grass. (West Yorkshire HER 4361)

Gatehouse Comments

This is a place-name, at the given map reference, although it seems to be more closely associated with Gomersal than Liversedge. Nothing is recorded in PastScape, it is not a manorial centre, there is nothing on the map or air photo to suggest anything other than a natural hill. Castle House and a Castle Hill House are marked on the 1854 OS map. Houses occupying these sites do still exist but are not listed. Presumably the C14 house took its name from the hill and it is possibly this was the site of an artificial defended site long ploughed out. However, the location is more typical of an Iron Age hill slope fort than a medieval castle.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE209246
Latitude53.7175483703613
Longitude-1.68394005298615
Eastings420950
Northings424620
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Smith, A.H., 1961, The Place-Names of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Part 3 Morley Wapentake (English Place-Name Society 32) p. 22

Journals

  • Clark, G.T., 1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 46 p. 197-217 esp. 215 online copy

Primary Sources

  • 1932, Yorkshire Deeds VII (Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 83) p. 46 no. 128, p. 98 no. 285, p. 100 no 292, p. 118 no 343

Other

  • Heckmondwike Tithe Award map, field no. 14