Pulford motte and bailey castle

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of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.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 at Pulford survives well, the earthworks being particularly evident. The lack of subsequent occupation on the site means that buried structural remains and environmental evidence are likely to be well-preserved.

Details

The monument at Pulford comprises the remains of a motte and bailey castle situated an the N bank of Pulford Brook immmediately SW of St Mary's churchyard. The motte lies towards the S side of the monument and is surrounded by a shallow ditch 5-6m wide on all sides except the S where defence was afforded by the stream. Traces of an outer bank exist to the SE of the motte while defence on the SW was provided by a substantial bank constructed between the stream and the bailey. The bailey lies to the NW of the motte covering much of the area between the B5102 and the churchyard. The bailey bank exists at the N and W but evidence of the surrounding ditch has been obliterated by the road and churchyard apart from faint traces at the NW corner of the site. Pulford Castle was known to be in existence c.1245 when the Ormesbee family granted their share of the manor and castle to the Pulford family. All fences and hedges are excluded from the scheduling, however, the ground beneath them is included. A telegraph pole at the NE extremity of the monument is also excluded from the scheduling.

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:

13419

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Cathcart-King, D J, Castellarium Anglicanum, (1983), 68
Ormerod, G, History of Cheshire in History of Cheshire, Vol. 3, (1882), V2-857

Other
Capstick, B., FMW report, (1988)
Leach, P.E., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Motte & Bailey Castles, (1988)

End of official list entry

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