Caer Caradoc

Has been described as a Possible Fortified Manor House

There are no visible remains

NameCaer Caradoc
Alternative NamesCaradoc Court; Caircradoke
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishSellack

On the Tithe Award 'Castle Meadow' and 'Castle Wood' are both near Caradoc Court, the reputed site of the home of the British chief Caradoc Vraich-Vras, or Strong Arm, a knight of King Arthur's round table. Early nineteenth-century Directories are mainly quite confident that Caradoc occupies the site of a castle. However, the earliest documentary reference to Caradoc occurs in 1291 when Roger de Somery died, seized of the manor of Caircradoke in Irchenfield. (Shoesmith)

Gatehouse Comments

The castle place names clearly relate to demense holdings of Caradoc Court. This is a C16/C17 house, badly damaged in a fire in 1986 although now fully restored, but clearly built on the site of an earlier manorial site of some status and, therefore, probably with some fortifications and certainly a castle in the sense of an administrative manorial centre with court. It may be that the dismissal of the folklore and mythology associated with the site has lead authors to overlook the actual medieval history. The Caer Caradoc name (and the Authurian association) however probably originally relate a nearby Iron Age Hill at Gaer Cop in Hentland CP. This does not prevent Caradoc Court from being a medieval manorial centre, with or without some fortification.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO558274
Latitude51.9440612792969
Longitude-2.6435399055481
Eastings355860
Northings227480
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p. 253
  • Shoesmith, R. and Morriss, R.N., 2000, 'Caradoc Court' in Whitehead, D. and Eisel, J. (eds), A Herefordshire Miscellany (Lapridge, Hereford)
  • RCHME, 1931, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 1: south-west p. 236-7 no. 2 online transcription
  • Robinson, C.J., 1872, A History of the Mansions and Manors of Herefordshire

Journals

  • Sprackling, G. and Lesser, I., 1996, 'Field-Names as archaeological indicators of defensive sites' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club Vol. 48.3 p. 475

Other

  • Shoesmith, R. and Morriss, R.N., 1989, Caradoc Court, Interim Report. City of Hereford Archaeology Unit.