Castle mound W of Court Farm

Summary

Motte castle 40m north west of Rowlestone Court Farm.

Reasons for Designation

Motte castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans. They comprised a large conical mound of earth or rubble, the motte, surmounted by a palisade and a stone or timber tower. In a majority of examples an embanked enclosure containing additional buildings, the bailey, adjoined the motte. Motte castles and motte-and-bai1ey castles acted as garrison forts during offensive military operations, as strongholds, and, in many cases, as aristocratic residences and as centres of local or royal administration. Built in towns, villages and open countryside, motte castles generally occupied strategic positions dominating their immediate locality and, as a result, are the most visually impressive monuments of the early post-Conquest period surviving in the modern landscape. Over 600 motte castles and motte-and-bailey castles are recorded nationally, with examples known from most regions. Some 100-150 examples do not have baileys and are classified as motte castles. As one of a restricted range of recognised early post-Conquest monuments, they are particularly important for the study of Norman Britain and the development of the feudal system. Although many were occupied for only a short period of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.

The motte castle 40m north west of Rowlestone Court Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, development, social, political, economic and strategic significance, domestic arrangements and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 27 May 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a motte castle situated on the upper south facing slopes of a ridge overlooking the valley of the Cwm Brook. The motte survives as a circular mound of regular profile which measures up to 36m in diameter and 4m high surrounded by a 6m wide ditch which is up to 2m deep on all except the south side where it opens onto a low lying marshy area and to the east where it has been partially backfilled. The castle may once have belonged to the notable Scudamore family.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

HE 156

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
PastScape 105635, Herefordshire SMR 1481

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry