Motte castle 200m south east of Lasborough

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of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.

Despite some disturbance to the central part of the mound through quarrying, the motte 200m south east of Lasborough survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. This is one of two motte castles within 1km of each other, situated either side of Hoy Bottom.

Details

The monument includes a motte castle situated on gently sloping ground with good views over the surrounding area, 200m south east of Lasborough, in an area of the Cotswold Hills. The motte, which has a mound composed of small stones, has a maximum diameter of 45m and a maximum height of c.2m. The mound has a flat top and now contains a large central cavity or quarry with an open face on the north eastern side of the mound. The quarry has internal dimensions of 15m by 20m and although 2m deep, it has not disturbed the original ground level below the mound. There has been some reduction of the mound by ploughing and it extends as a lower earthwork for 16m to the west and 6m to the east, of the highest part of the mound. The mound is surrounded by a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become infilled over the years, but survives as a buried feature c.5m wide. There is no sign of an associated bailey or enclosure.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

22894

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Mention quarry,
Mention of AP cropmarks to east,

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