Kington Castle Hill

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameKington Castle Hill
Alternative Namescastello de Kinton'
Historic CountryHerefordshire
Modern AuthorityHerefordshire
1974 AuthorityHereford and Worcester
Civil ParishKington

Supposed remains of a castle extant by 1187. The earthwork remains of part a possible motte and an adjacent field of ridge and furrow were mapped from aerial photogaphs. The irregular mound on the highest point is separated by a wide shallow ditch from what may be the vestigial remains of an outer bank on the west side. (PastScape)

Kington is mentioned in the Domesday Book and was one of the royal manors laying waste in 1086 which were granted by Henry I to Adam de Port in 1108 as the "Honour of Kington". The title implies an intention to establish a major castle and borough at Kington (Kay 1980). A Pipe Roll grant of 1186 to repair the palisade (Benn 1941) is the only known reference to the castle, however (Kay 1980). The original borough, later referred to as "Old Kington," was situated close to the castle and the 12th century church, on a prominence overlooking the river, a typical site for the borough of a Marcher Lord (Noble 1964). In 1173 Roger de Port rebelled against Henry II and the "Honour of Kington" was forfeited. Part of it, including the manors of Kington and Huntington, was granted to William de Braose. Kington castle was abandoned sometime before 1230 and a new castle set up at Huntington, now the head of the Lordship. However, Kington remained the main centre of population whilst the new borough of Huntington failed to replace it as a commercial centre (Noble 1964). (Victoria Buteux in Dalwood and Bryant, 2005)

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 ReferenceSO291568
Latitude52.205940246582
Longitude-3.03818988800049
Eastings329150
Northings256810
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p. 191-2
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 46
  • Remfry, Paul M., 1997, Kington and Huntington Castles, 1066 to 1298 (SCS Publishing: Worcestershire)
  • Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p. 172
  • Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 10
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 207-8
  • 1981, Herefordshire Countryside Treasures (Hereford and Worcester County Council) p. 9
  • Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 249
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 218
  • Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 687 (slight)
  • RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 91 No. 2 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. 227
  • 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. 86-7 online copy

Journals

  • Archaeological Research Section Woolhope NFC, 1999, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 70 p. 47 (plan)
  • Lowe, Ros, 1998, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 69 p. 14 (plan)
  • Archaeological Research Section Woolhope NFC, 1996, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 66 p. 29
  • 1993, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 60 p. 6-7
  • Kay, R., 1980, 'Field meeting: Huntington District' Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 37 p. 8-10
  • Stanford, S.C., 1970, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 17 p. 5
  • Noble, F., 1964, 'Medieval boroughs of west Herefordshire' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club Vol. 38 p. 62-70
  • 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
  • Brown, R. Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)
  • Benn, C.A., 1941, 'Castles mentioned in the Pipe Rolls under Herefordshire' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club Vol. 30

Primary Sources

  • 1915, Great Roll of the Pipe for the thirty-third year of the reign of King Henry II A.D. 1186-1187 (Pipe Rolls Society 37) p. 131 online copy
  • The Great Roll of the pipe for the first year of the reign of King John, Michaelmas 1199 (Pipe Roll Society 48)
  • The Great Roll of the Pipe for the fifth year of the reign of King John Michaelmas 1203 (Pipe Roll Society 54)

Other

  • Dalwood, H. and Bryant, V. (eds), 2005, The Central Marches Historic Towns Survey 1992-6 Download online copy