Motte castle 510m east of Broadward Hall

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of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle.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 510m east of Broadward Hall is a well-preserved example of this class of monument, despite disturbance to the mound from a 19th century excavation and erosion of part of the surrounding ditch. The mound will retain evidence of its construction and the structures that were built upon its summit. Organic remains preserved within the buried ground surface under the mound and within the surrounding ditch will provide valuable evidence about the local environment and the use of the land before and after the motte castle was constructed. The importance of the monument is further enhanced by its association with other motte castles nearby. The monument remains a prominent feature within the landscape.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a motte castle, situated within the flood plain of the River Clun from which there are extensive views of the surrounding area. It is situated roughly midway between the motte castles at Leintwardine and Clungunford, which are the subject of separate schedulings, and which also occupy land next to the River Clun. All three castles would appear to have controlled crossing points across the lower downstream portion of the river. The flat-topped, steep-sided oval mound measures approximately 27m by 32m at its base, 11m by 14m across the top and stands up to 3.5m high. The size of the mound indicates it was only large enough to support a watch tower. Although no longer visible at ground level, except where it is cut by the river, a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, surrounds the mound. The exposed section of the ditch indicates that is about 5m wide and 1m deep, and has been infilled with riverine sediments. A limited excavation of the mound was conducted in the mid-19th century in the belief that it was a burial mound. No burials or artefacts were found during this investigation.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32321

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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