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were superseded by other types of castle.
Details
The monument known as Fineshade Abbey consists of the earthworks of the motte
and bailey known as Castle Hymel and of the priory which replaced it when the
castle was demolished in about 1200. The motte lay on the higher ground to
the east and the bailey lay on the western side of the site. There is no
trace above ground of the priory but it stood on and around the location of
the later house to the north of the site.
The peripheral bailey of the castle was a semi-circular area lying to the west
and north-west of the motte and now survives as earthworks. A long, curving
bank up to 2.5m high running along the western edge of the site, above a steep
valley, defines the extent of the bailey and below the bank the river runs
into a large lake just north of the site. Within the bailey, platforms and
depressions indicate the presence of former buildings. The priory was
situated to the north of the castle motte within the northern area of the
bailey. The priory church is known to have been located close to the site of
the later house as skeletons and foundations were discovered in this area in
the 18th century. In 1720 an arch of the original priory was still standing.
Records indicate that Castle Hymel belonged to the Engayne family and that the
castle was demolished in about 1200 to allow the building of the Augustinian
Priory of St Mary which was founded by Richard Engayne. The priory was
dissolved in 1536 and the buildings were converted to a residence. In 1749
the residence was demolished and replaced by a large Georgian mansion, remains
of which can still be seen on the site today. Stables were built on a
platform cut into the motte mound. Most of the 18th-century house was pulled
down in 1956 and only the southern part of the house and the stables remain.
The stables and coach house, listed Grade II, have recently been substantially
renovated and the site is under grass.
All made-up roads and pathways, all buildings on the site, including the
stables and coach house, the remains of the 18th-century house and several
large barns, are excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath all these
features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13649
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
