Kingsland Castle

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Certain Masonry Castle

There are earthwork remains

NameKingsland Castle
Alternative NamesKyngsland
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishKingsland

Medieval motte and bailey, ditches, fishpond and ridge and furrow seen as cropmarks and earthworks. The motte is 30m across and surrounded by a broad ditch or moat, slight evidence of octagonal shell keep. Two baileys are visible, the first of which is five sided, polygonal, 85m by 80m. A second bailey lies to the north and is curvilinear in shape. There is an oblong depression 35m by 12m which may be the site of a fishpond and further earthworks which may be outworks to the motte and bailey, along with ridge and furrow. (PastScape)

The partially-buried foundations of what appears to be an octagonal shell keep with 7 or 8 towers on the angles still shows through the turf in places on the motte. There are traces of a bridge abutment & barbican to the keep, on the bailey, lots of white plaster & mortar exposed in mole tumps all over the site. Some pottery dating from the E C12 - L C14 found on the site. Wet defences all around. A very early site associated with the Mortimers. (Herefordshire SMR ref. Sterling Brown, 1988)

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 ReferenceSO445612
Latitude52.246711730957
Longitude-2.81435990333557
Eastings344500
Northings261250
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
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Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
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Books

  • Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p. 190-1
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 45
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 103 (slight)
  • Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p. 229
  • Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 10
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 207
  • 1981, Herefordshire Countryside Treasures (Hereford and Worcester County Council) p. 9
  • RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 82 No. 2 (plan) online transcription
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Gould, I. Chalkley, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Herefordshire Vol. 1 p. 240-1 (plan)
  • Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 2 p. 103 (slight and as lost) online copy
  • Robinson, C.J., 1869, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (London: Longman) p. 85 online copy

Antiquarian

  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England  (Sutton Publishing) p. 224
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1908, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 2 p. 75 online copy

Journals

  • Archaeological Research Section Woolhope NFC, 1994, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 62 p. 16
  • Sterling Brown, R., 1988, 'Preliminary Results of Castle Survey' Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 50 p. 44
  • 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
  • 1930, 'Stretford, Eardisland and Kingsland, Fourth Field Meeting, Thursday August 21st' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club p. xxx

Other

  • Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk West Midlands Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 11 online copy
  • Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk West Midlands Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 11 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 12 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 10 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 22 online copy