Motte and bailey castle and associated earthworks south of Locking Head Farm

Reasons for Designation

Motte and bailey 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-bailey 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 and bailey 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 or motte-and-bailey castles are recorded nationally, with examples known from most regions. 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of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.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 and bailey castle south of Locking Head Farm survives particularly well as an outstanding example of its class. Partial excavation of the site in 1902-3 has demonstrated that archaeological and environmental information will survive relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a motte and bailey castle and associated earthworks situated south of Locking Head Farm on the top of a small knoll known as Carberry Hill. The motte, which is at the south end of the site, has an artificial mound c.20m in diameter and c.3m high surrounded by a ditch c.3m wide from which material was quarried during its construction. The ditch is now infilled but is visible as a slight depression and as an area of enhanced crop growth, caused by increased moisture in the area of the buried ditch. Partial excavations on the mound in 1902-3 revealed the presence of 12th century pottery and a coin of Edward IV-V. The presence of a small dry stone walled structure was also identified on the top of the mound. Adjacent to the motte on its northern side is the bailey. This is defined on the western side of the monument by a bank c.60m long and c.1.5m high and an external ditch which runs parallel with the bank and joins with the ditch of the motte. The remainder of the bailey is defined by the natural steep slopes of the hilltop which provides a good defensive position over the surrounding levels. The interior of the bailey contains traces of earthworks which are considered to relate to the occupation of the site during the medieval period. Outside and to the west of the bailey are further earthworks including a possible pillow mound c.10m long, c.2m wide and c.0.4m high. Excluded from the scheduling are the fence posts of the field boundaries and the water tank, although the underlying ground is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

22825

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Burrow, E J, Ancient Earthworks and camps of Somerset, (1924), 120

Other
Motte and bailey classification, Leach PE, Motte and Bailey Castles, Monument Class Description, (1988)

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