Eastbach Court Castle Hill

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are no visible remains

NameEastbach Court Castle Hill
Alternative Names
Historic CountryGloucestershire
Modern AuthorityGloucestershire
1974 AuthorityGloucestershire
Civil ParishEnglish Bicknor

A field is labelled 'Caste hill' on a map of the western part of the Forest of Dean, dating from 1608 (Saxtoy).

NB - A rectified copy of the 1608 map produced by Gordon Clissold shows this field name linked to the adjacent field name, to produce the single name 'Leggcastel Hill'. Examination of a bromide copy ofthe original 1608 map shows this to be incorrect, and the two fields should be labelled individually as 'The Legg' and 'Castle hill' (Pers. comm. L.Butler, 08/06/2004.).

A suspected early Norman timber fortification at Eastbach was re-sited at English Bicknor and later re-built in stone (Walters 1992).

This field name possibly reflects the site of a castle at Eastbach, which was later re-sited at English Bicknor (SMR 249) (Pers. comm. L.Butler, 08/06/2004.). (Gloucestershire SMR)

Gatehouse Comments

Although English Bicknor was probably founded as a village quite late there doesn't seem to be any reason to think that English Bicknor Castle had a precursor on a different site. Eastback may have been a sub manor of Bicknor before the C16 (when it is first recorded as a sub manor) and it may just be possible that there was a small symbolic motte reflecting the knightly status of an early, unrecorded, sub-tenant but it seem more probably the field name relates to part of the demense lands of the main manor of Bicknor.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO586153
Latitude51.8353996276855
Longitude-2.60166001319885
Eastings358640
Northings215370
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Walters, B., 1992, The Archaeology of Ancient Dean and the Wye Valley (Cheltenham: Thornhill Press)
  • Currie, C.R.J. and Herbert, N.M. (eds), 1996, VCH Gloucestershire Vol. 5 p. 101- (parish history) online transcription

Primary Sources

  • Jacobi Saxtoy, 1608, The West Part of the Plott of the Forest of Deane in the County of Glos (Map)

Other

  • Hoyle, Jon, 2008, The Forest of Dean Gloucestershire Archaeological Survey (Gloucestershire County Council) Vol. 2 p. 115 online copy