Leebotwood Castle Hill

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameLeebotwood Castle Hill
Alternative NamesWoolstaston; Lebotwood
Historic CountryShropshire
Modern AuthorityShropshire
1974 AuthorityShropshire
Civil ParishWoolstaston

hought to be an artificial motte, with a reference of 1172 (BM Harleian MS 3868 f 11) to its abandonment (VCH 1908; Renn 1968).

Described as a natural mound, but probably the site of a manor house (VCH 1968).

Accepted as a motte by Hogg and King, but finally rejected by them and considered to be only a natural mound, the 1172 reference having been found to apply to the place only, with no mention of a castle (Hogg and King 1963; 1970).

A natural mound rising 5.0 m above the surrounding ground. There are no signs of a building on the mound (F1 DJC 14-DEC-72). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

King writes this is a glacial formation and not a castle. Jackson also dismisses it as a castle site but suggests it is a possible medieval house site. Salter called in a natural mound, with the implication of Norman use, in the 1st edition of his book but does not mention it at all in the 2nd. The site has been called 'Castle Hill' since at least the early C19. How did this name arise? Was it a field belonging to the local manor? Was it the site where locals played 'King of the Castle'?

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO467990
Latitude52.5866889953613
Longitude-2.78694009780884
Eastings346780
Northings299060
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p. 97
  • Salter, Mike, 1988, The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 73 (slight)
  • Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p. 70 (reject)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 435 (reject)
  • Renn, D.F., 1968, Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 222 (not mentioned in 2nd edition of 1973)
  • Gaydon, A.T. (ed), 1968, VCH Shropshire Vol. 8 p. 171
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Wall (after Downham), 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol. 1 p. 388-9
  • Cobbold, E.S., 1904, in Campbell-Hyslop and Cobbold (eds), Church Stretton: Some Results of Local Scientific Research (Shrewsbury) Vol. 3 p. 82-3
  • Anderson, J.C., 1864 (2edn 1972), Shropshire, Its Early History and Antiquities p. 225 online copy
  • Eyton, R.W., 1858, Antiquities of Shropshire (London: John Russell Smith) Vol. 6 p. 244- (tenurial history) online copy
  • Hartshorne, C.H., 1841, Salopia Antiqua (London) p. 86 online copy

Journals

  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1970, 'Castles in Wales and the Marches (Additions and corrections to lists published in 1963 and 1967)' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 119 p. 119-124 (reject)
  • 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

Primary Sources

  • BM Harleian MS 3868 f 11