Seynteleyscastel, Ruspidge

Has been described as a Possible Uncertain

There are no visible remains

NameSeynteleyscastel, Ruspidge
Alternative NamesSaintlow; Turner's Tump; Seinteleye
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityGloucestershire
1974 AuthorityGloucestershire
Civil ParishRuspidge And Soudley

Rawes writes in a list 'Probable site of castle, exact location unknown.' "In Saintlow Enclosure? Mentioned 1282." citing Hart.

Rejected by King as a location referring to "some conspicuous element that looked vaguely like a castle."

Possible site of a castle mentioned in 1282, in Saintlow Inclosure and place name 'Turner's Tump' recorded on maps of 1856, c.1880, c.1900, c.1925 and 2002. (Hoyle 2008)

Gatehouse Comments

Isolated location within the Forest of Dean. The name Saintlow may be derived from the Saxon Hlaw (burial mound). Seinteleye is a named balliua (Balliwick) of the forest and probably the site of a residence of the forester with responsibility for that part of the forest. Such a residence had some of the functions of a castle, being centres for the administration of forest law and will have had some stabling and possibly even a small prison but would not have been large. It may even have been marked in someway to reflect its status as a place of the kings law such as by having some castle like feature like being built on or beside a mound. Medieval use of the term castle was more varied and nuanced than many authors suggest. Turner's Tump is marked on the 1878 OS map associated with a building marked as 'Lincoln House' and an 'Old Quarry' but nothing is no visible on the air photo except trees. Gatehouse does not accept King's dismissal of this as a natural feature and does think there was a structure, associated with the royal forest, in this approximate area although not one usual called a castle by modern writers. See also Mosleyescastel, another possible foresters 'castle'.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO629109
Latitude51.7962913513184
Longitude-2.53860998153687
Eastings362900
Northings210900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 185 (reject)
  • Hart, Cyril, 1967, Archaeology in Dean p. 56

Journals

  • Rawes, B., 1977, 'A Check List of Castles and other Fortified Sites of Medieval Date in Gloucestershire' Glevensis Vol. 11 p. 39-41 online copy
  • Maclean, J., 1889-90, 'A perambulation of the Forest of Dene, in the county of Gloucester, 10th Edw. I. (1281-2)' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol. 14 p 356-69 esp 361 online copy

Primary Sources

Other

  • Hoyle, Jon, 2008, The Forest of Dean Gloucestershire Archaeological Survey (Gloucestershire County Council) Vol. 2 p. 115 online copy