Motte castle 180m south west of Newington Bagpath

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of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.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 180m south west of Newington Bagpath survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it was constructed. The monument forms part of a wider group of medieval monuments within the area, including another motte, a church, a chapel and a pillow mound.

Details

The monument includes a motte castle situated on the summit of a steep slope overlooking Hay Bottom to the north and east, 180m south west of Newington Bagpath, in an area of the Cotswold Hills. The motte, which is known as Newington Bagpath Castle Mound, has a mound composed of small stones. It has a maximum diameter of 40m and a maximum height of c.1.5m. The mound has a flat top which supports a smaller mound 15m wide and c.0.5m high. In the northern area of the mound there is a quarry 10m wide and c.1.2m deep. The motte is surrounded on the north, south and west sides by a ditch from which material was quarried during its construction. The ditch varies in width from 5m in the north west to 6m in the south west and is c.1m-1.5m deep. The northern area of the ditch has been partially infilled and this is likely to be associated with nearby quarrying. The steep slope of the hill provides a natural defensive boundary on the eastern side of the monument. The monument is one of two motte castles known to occur locally, strategically sited either side of Hay Bottom.

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:

22909

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Mention no sign of a bailey,

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