Almeley Old Castle Twt

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameAlmeley Old Castle Twt
Alternative NamesBatch Twt; Oldcastle
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishAlmeley

The earthwork remains of a Motte and bailey. The motte has a base diameter of 40m and a height of 6m on the north side. it is separated from the bailey to the north by a ditch, 10m wide, 2m deep, which opens out at both ends upon the natural slopes which encircle the motte but are separated from it by a berm, about 7m in width. The bailey measures 40m by 30m in size and is bounded on the east and west sides by steep natural slopes, but is separated from the ridge to the north by a broad ditch, averaging 12m in width, and 2m in depth, with an inner rampart, 12m in width and up to 4.5m in height. This castle is possibly the predecessor Almeley Castle. (PastScape)

Old Castle or Batch Twt, motte & bailey. Circ, 29' diameter at top, rises c18' above bottom of slight ditch, between it & bailey. Motte otherwise much altered by modern pathways. Bailey to N, roughly rectangular, appears to have had ditch cut across base of spur at N end with rampart on site towards bailey (RCHME). End of spur at confluence of 2 streams. Motte base diam 40m, height 6m on N side. Separated from bailey by ditch 10m wide, 2m deep which open outs at both end upon natural slopes which encircle motte but are separated from it by berm c7m wide. Bailey 40m x 30m, bounded on E & W by natural slopes, separated from ridge to N by broad ditch 12m wide, 2m deep, inner rampart 12m wide & up to 4.5 m high cut away in centre for 16m for construct of cottage in C18-19. Motte much mutilated (OS). (Herefordshire SMR)

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 ReferenceSO328520
Latitude52.1627388000488
Longitude-2.98389005661011
Eastings332810
Northings252010
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Copyright Philip Halling and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons license.View full Sized Image

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Books

  • Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p. 52
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 53
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 103 (slight)
  • Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 1
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 202
  • 1981, Herefordshire Countryside Treasures (Hereford and Worcester County Council) p. 18
  • RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 6 No. 4 online transcription
  • Gould, I. Chalkley, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Herefordshire Vol. 1 p. 232-3
  • Robinson, C.J., 1869, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (London: Longman) p. 3-5 online copy

Journals

  • 1995, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 64 p. 28 (plan)
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124
  • Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol. 33 p. 106-12
  • Warner, R.H., 1904, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club p. 233