Castlefacts³

Dinmore Preceptory

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

Name	Dinmore Preceptory
Alternative Names	Dynmore
Historic Country	Herefordshire
Modern Authority	Herefordshire
1974 Authority	Hereford and Worcester
Civil Parish	Dinmore

Mound near to chapel of preceptory of Knights of St John of Jerusalem.

Mound c87' diam surrounded by shallow ditch. Mound rises c 5' above the lowest part of the ditch. Level circular platform some 23m diam, surrounded by shallow ditch up to 0.8m deep average width 5m. Situated on promontory sloping gently to SE. Scarp slope on uphill side, suggesting the former presence of outer ditch, while the inner ditch is supported by outer bank on downhill side. Although well situated strategically, unlikely to be motte. Ditch though shallow has well preserved sides, this together with form suggests medieval construction. (Shoesmith 2009)

Gatehouse Comments

It would seem unlikely that the Hospitaller's themselves, who's preceptory was founded before 1189 would build a motte but presumably they were granted this land and it maybe that this was a unwanted manorial site with an earlier small castle. "Tanner says, It was given to the Hospitalars by one Sir Thomas ......, a brother of the Order, temp. Hen. II." (Dugdale). However this is a highly landscaped area and, despite of Shoesmith's assertion, this may be a post medieval feature.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

108262

County Historic Environment Record

htt.herefordshire.gov.uk/her-search/monuments-search/search/monument?smr_no=6326

OS Map Grid Reference	SO488503
Latitude	52.1489295959473
Longitude	-2.74908995628357
Eastings	348830
Northings	250330