Carlecotes Castle Hill

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle ()

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameCarlecotes Castle Hill
Alternative Names
Historic CountryYorkshire
Modern AuthorityBarnsley
1974 AuthoritySouth Yorkshire
Civil ParishCarlecotes

SE of village, a prominent small hill rises from the slope descending towards the R. Don. It's dominating position is well seen from the walkway along the former Woodhead railline E. of Dunford Bridge. The hillock, a promontory with summit near SW termination, bears faint indications of possible banking, below summit, and the summit area could have been scarped and bears a circular depression. (Sneyd 1995)

At Carlecoates, two miles below Don-ford Bridge, the river is overlooked by a somewhat singular eminence called the "Castle Hill," which, surmounted by a solitary tree, is a striking object for several miles lower down. (Holland 1837)

Gatehouse Comments

Not in the archaeological databases. Despite Sneyd slight suggestion of some artificial scarping appears to be an entirely natural hill. The slight depression reported by Sneyd in the hill summit may be a tree throw from the large tree reported by Holland in 1837 although this does seem to have gone by the time of the 1st edn 6" OS map (1906). The origin of the name is obscure but may be the sort of hill where children and youths played 'king of the castle' at a time when this upland valley had a greater population, alternatively it may have been a location for local meetings and, therefore, had a local political function similar to actual castles. There is, apparently, a local story this was a folly built for Carlecoates Hall by the workers building the railway. It is certainly in a location where it could have been a folly for Carlecotes Hall, but the railway was built mid C19, after Holland described it as Castle Hill (with a large tree on it) so this local story may be erroneous.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSE179029
Latitude53.52294921875
Longitude-1.73198997974396
Eastings417900
Northings402900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Sneyd, Steve, 1995, The Devil's Logbook Castles and Fortified Sites around South Yorkshire (Hilltop Press) p. 9
  • Anon (chiefly by J. Holland), 1837, The Tour of the Don, A Series of Extempore Sketches (London) Vol. 1 p. 54, 55 online copy

Other

  • Dr David Mercer,June 2016, pers. corr.