Castlefacts³

Godstone Castle Hill

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Ringwork)

There are earthwork remains

Name	Godstone Castle Hill
Alternative Names
Historic Country	Surrey
Modern Authority	Surrey
1974 Authority	Surrey
Civil Parish	Godstone

A promontory fort situated on a spur which projects to the west from a sandstone hill around 1.4km to the south east of Godstone. The promontory fort's defences were constructed across the neck of the spur and survive as a NNE-SSW aligned, approximately 110m long, curving bank around 15m wide and 2.6m high, flanked to the east by an outer ditch up to 15m wide and 1.4m deep. The eastern edge of the ditch has been destroyed by the construction of the modern A22 Godstone bypass during the mid-1980s, and this area is therefore not included in the scheduling. Access to the interior of the fort was provided by a simple gap at the south western end of the ramparts. Contemporary buildings, storage pits and associated structures and features will have covered much of the steeply-sided spur top, and traces of these can be expected to survive in the form of below ground archaeological features. During World War II, the monument was used as an aircraft observation post, represented by a small trench dug into the southern sector of the monument. (Scheduling Report)

On Castle Hill, by Leigh Place, are traces of a bank and ditch, among trees and underwood, on the east side of the hill. These possibly represent St. John's fortified house of Walkhampstead. Several barrows are said to have existed, and two still remain near it, one injured by the road and both apparently rifled. (VCH)

Gatehouse Comments

Called a Ringwork by King.Excavation in 1982 reports no finds. The location overlooking the A22, a main road from the south coast to London, gives this site some strategic value. This does not seem to be a manorial centre despite the speculation in the VCH ('St. John's fortified house of Walkhampstead' was probably Lagham Manor). There seems little doubt this was an Iron Age construction, although that does not excluded temporary medieval use as a campaign camp. However there is no evidence of any medieval occupation.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

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

403876

County Historic Environment Record

www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/GetRecord/SHHER_1249

OS Map Grid Reference	TQ363508
Latitude	51.2402801513672
Longitude	-0.0485190004110336
Eastings	536320
Northings	150820