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were superseded by other types of castle.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 includes a medieval motte and bailey castle situated on an
inland spur overlooking valleys to tributaries of the River Torridge to the
east, south and west. The ground slopes steeply into these valleys to the
north east, east and south, but is less steep to the north and west. The
monument has a circular motte with its outer ditch, a D-shaped bailey with its
rampart and ditch, and an outer bank or rampart. The site is aligned east-
west, with the motte to the east and the bailey to the west. The motte is
circular in shape with a diameter of 33m, and is 6.4m high.
The mound itself has slumped slightly to the south and this has caused the
part infilling of the ditch. The centre of the mound contains a sub-circular
depression which measures 6.5m in diameter and is up to 3m deep.
Surrounding the motte is a ditch which measures 3.6m wide and varies in depth
from 0.4m on the eastern side to 1.2m on the west.
The D-shaped bailey, which slopes gently to the south, is defined by a
rampart, and this encloses an area which measures 37.2m long from north to
south and 25.6m wide from east to west. Surface undulations within this area
may indicate the presence of internal structures. The rampart of the bailey
survives on all sides, although it has been cut in several places to
facilitate access. The ditch surrounding the bailey measures up to 4.4m wide
by 1.2m deep. Beyond the ditch is an outer rampart which measures up to 6m
wide and 0.6m high.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
28650
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
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
