Trentham Castle Field

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are no visible remains

NameTrentham Castle Field
Alternative NamesCastellum de Trentham; Mount Field
Historic CountryStaffordshire
Modern AuthorityStaffordshire
1974 AuthorityStaffordshire
Civil ParishSwynnerton

A Castellum de Trentham mentioned in 1168 could be Mount Field at given map reference or may possible referring to Newcastle under Lyme.

Gatehouse Comments

The Mount Field site is entirely typical for a castle in that is associated with a settlement, near to a church. Trentham Hall is said to have dated from the dissolution of the monasteries its grounds, landscape by Capability Brown in the C18, are probably based on monastic land. Although a Mercian nunnery of Trentham is said to have existed from the C7 the Augustinian Priory was founded in the 1150s on land granted by Ranulf de Gernon, Earl of Chester (in a possible death bed grant. Ranulf died in 1153). The large estate of Trentham was, in the C11/C12, contested between the earls of Chester and the king. Thus it is conceivable, as happened elsewhere, that an old castle site, supplanted by Newcastle (which came into Ranulf's hands in 1149), was utilised as the bases of a religious foundation in a manner which resolve a long standing dispute and fulfilled Ranulf's concerns for his soul.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSJ866411
Latitude52.9676818847656
Longitude-2.20022988319397
Eastings386600
Northings341100
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 1997, Castles and Moated Mansions of Staffordshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 55
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 452
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 332
  • Greenslade, M.W. and Pugh, R.B., 1970, VCH Staffordshire Vol. 3 p. 255-260 view online
  • Pape, T., 1928, Medieval Newcastle Under Lyme (Manchester) p. 3-4, 9-10
  • Wrottesley, G. and Parker, F. (eds), 1890, 'Cartulary of Trentham Priory: Introduction' Staffordshire Historical Collections Vol. 11 p. 295-99 online transcription

Journals

  • Palliser, D.M., 1972, 'Staffordshire Castles: A Provisional List' Staffordshire Archaeology Vol. 1 p. 5-8
  • Burne, S.A.H., 1912-3, Journal of the North Staffordshire Field Club Vol. 47 p. 114-50

Primary Sources

  • Dugdale, William (Caley, J., Ellis, H. and Bandinel, B. (eds)), 1817-30 (originally pub. 1655-73), Monasticon Anglicanum (London) Vol. 6.1 p. 396-7 online copy
  • 1890, The Great Roll of the Pipe for the fifteenth year of the reign of King Henry the Second, A.D. 1168-1169 (Pipe Roll Society Publications 13) p. 72 online copy