Hergest Castle Twts

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameHergest Castle Twts
Alternative Names
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishKington Rural

Castle Twts, mount and bailey, occupies the top of a small hill, the slopes of which appear to have been artificially steepened to some extent. The S part of the top appears to have been roughly levelled to form a bailey, with a small motte at its S end. At the foot of the bailey-scarp on the NW, is a small irregular terrace with traces of a bank on its W side. The NE part of the hill-top is sloping, and there are indications of an approach-causeway on the E side. The motte is some 57 ft in diameter at the base and rises some 8 ft only above the level of the bailey (RCHME). The motte, 2.4 m high with a flat top, 8m in diameter, is built at the SW end of a small steep-sided hill and the bailey occupies the remainder of the level top. No indications of earthworks could be seen in the bracken-covered ground to the NW and NE of the bailey (Field Investigators Comments F1 DJC 12-SEP-73). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Possible an unfinished castle.

- Philip Davis

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 ReferenceSO277555
Latitude52.1927108764648
Longitude-3.05908989906311
Eastings327700
Northings255530
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
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Copyright Trevor Rickard 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. 192
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 46
  • Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 10
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 208
  • 1981, Herefordshire Countryside Treasures (Hereford and Worcester County Council) p. 16
  • RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 94 No. 1 online transcription
  • Gould, I. Chalkley, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Herefordshire Vol. 1 p. 241 (plan)

Journals

  • 1999, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 70 p. 40
  • Lowe, Ros, 1998, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 69 p. 16
  • 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 (listed as ?successor to Turret Tump )