Lydbury North; The Firs

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameLydbury North; The Firs
Alternative Names
Historic CountryShropshire
Modern AuthorityShropshire
1974 AuthorityShropshire
Civil ParishLydbury North

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, Low score as one of 133 Moated sites. Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, Low score as one of 43 Motte castles. At the house called The Firs at Lydbury North (near church) there is a moat (Bird A J. 1966. Map annotation by OS Correspondent) The Firs (SA 13631) is situated on a mound with depressions on the N and W side but these depressions could not be positively identified as the remains of a moat. (OS FI 1974) A C17 timber framed house (SA 13631) sits on a rectangular raised mound c 2m above surrounding level. No trace of any moat ditch can be traced, except for a slight depression on the N side of the mound. This must remain a doubtful moated site (M Watson FI 1980). (Shropshire HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Jackson writes possible motte. King writes probably a barrow. Presumably King has mistaken this with another site in Lydbury North. The doubtful moat is located in centre of village and by church so is possibly a castle site although the manorial centre for the large manor of Lydbury North was Bishops Castle. The lord of the manor was the Bishop of Hereford and his bailiff must have had a house here acting as the centre for the administration of the village which may be this site built on a raised earthen platform but not fortified.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO351860
Latitude52.4686317443848
Longitude-2.9560399055481
Eastings335100
Northings286000
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p. 108
  • Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p. 36
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2
  • Wall (after Downham), 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol. 1 p. 386
  • Eyton, R.W., 1860, Antiquities of Shropshire (London: John Russell Smith) Vol. 11 p. 194- (tenurial history) online copy

Journals

  • Watson, M.D., 1987, 'Gazetteer of Moated Sites in Shropshire' Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 65 p. 6
  • 1980, Moated Sites Research Group Report Vol. 7 p. 51
  • 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