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Summary

Site known as Castle Hill since the 16th century but for which there is no other evidence for a castle apart from its topographical location - the sides of the hill fall away steeply to the north west and south west. No associated finds have been made and there are no clear documentary references to the siting of a castle here. The area named as Castle Hill on O.S. maps was common field land until Enclosure in 1797 so it is unlikely to have been a castle site.

Full Description

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 6" Provisional Edition, SP 9733 3624 (Map). SBD10761.

Castle (NR) (site of).

<2> E Denroche, 1978, Ridgmont Parish Survey (Unpublished document). SBD10797.

Small motte to NW of village on spur of sandstone, encircled by Lidds Road and Station Road, known as Castle Hill. Earthworks encroached by building and sand workings to E [HER 3020], and site has been considerably modified during the creation of a garden on the top, by the present owner. This site has been ignored by historians & antiquarians, particularly because the descent of the land is difficult to trace. However, many of the references to a castle in the parish may concern this site rather than the mound at Brogborough [HER 30].

<3> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: CRT 100/16, quoting LR2/195, 15 Eliz I (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Known as Castle Hill since 16th century.

<4> William Page & H. Arthur Doubleday (Editors), 1912, Victoria County History Vol III, Bedfordshire, Vol. III, 1912, p. 321 (quoting Annales Monastici (Rolls Series) iii, p. 269) (Bibliographic reference). SBD13982.

Earliest reference to a castle in a reallotment of land in 1276. Awarded Walter Beywin [Bevan] 7 selions 'above the castle of Rugemont'. Has been assumed to refer to Brogborough but could describe land near Ridgmont village (term 'above' meaning on the higher land of the sandstone ridge). Also, Bevans Manor was to develop in this SE part of the parish.

<5> Bedfordshire County Council, Planning Dept File (Unpublished document). SBD11426.

Details of owner.

<6> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Record Cards, OS: SP 93 NE 5 (Unpublished document). SBD10879.

(SP97333624) Castle (NR) (site of) (OS 6" 1960)
No visible remains of this ancient castle now exist and the mound on which it is supposed to have stood has been levelled and nothing now remains to indicate its former importance. (ONB rev. 1900 Sheet 21 SW p.10; J. L. Gain, Park Farm Office, Woburn; BAH 14/12/1972)

Rugemont Castle, the stronghold of the de Greys and their predecessors the Wahulls in the parish of Ridgmont. It is not mentioned before the 12th C. (Williams sites Rugemont Castle to the "Intrenchments" at Brogborough Park Farm (see SP93 NE 2), but as there is doubt as to the classification of the latter, the castle was possibly in the village of Ridgmont). (VCH Beds. 3, 1912, p. 321).

There is no trace of a castle or castle mound at the OS published site on Castle Hill, a knoll at the NW end of a spur, separated from the spur by a disused sand-pit on its E side.
The sides of Castle Hill fall away steeply to the NW and SW though these slopes have been terraced for housing. The summit is occupied by an allotment garden. No finds have been made, and no castle is noted on maps or documents held in Bedford Record Office.
To the W of the knoll is an extensive area of ridge and furrow.
The only evidence for a castle therefore is (a) the good natural defensive position, (b) the name Castle Hill, (c) documentary evidence for the name Rugemont Castle, and (d) the proximity of Md agriculture. This is insufficient to enable classification as a castle site, though it seems probable. (NKB 08/08/1973).

<7> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25" Map (1:2500), 1968 (Map). SBD11544.

Castle Hill shown on map.

<8> Bedfordshire County Council, HER Slide Archive, 2185-2186 (Slide). SBD10508.

Painting and sketch of mound.

<9> NMR/AMIE, HE NRHE Monument Inventory, 346614 (Index). SBD12367.

Rugemont Castle (poss. site of), site inferred through name of hill. However, it has been stated that the site was common lands [James Petre after Stephen Coleman -see Ref. 12]. It is also possible that Rugemont Castle was the Round House site (Monument number 346609).

<10> NMR/AMIE, HE NRHE Monument Inventory, Email received 22/11/2012 from Mr P Davis (Index). SBD12367.

James Petre (The Castles of Bedfordshire pp. 104-105) rejects this as a castle site. He states the site was common lands [on the advice of Stephen Coleman - see Ref. 12]. It seems generally accepted that the historic Rugemont Castle was the Round House site (monument number 346609).

<11> Stephen R. Coleman, Comments (Observations and Comments). SBD10779.

James Petre's comments referred to in Refs. 9 and 10 that this is unlikely to be a castle site due to it being on common lands derives from a conversation that I had with him when he visited the HER whilst researching his book. I pointed out that the area named as 'Castle Hill' and marked as 'Castle (site of)' on historic O.S. maps was common field land (part of Turnpike Field or Low Field) until the time of parliamentary enclosure in Ridgmont when the common rights were removed and the portion of land concerned divided into three and reallocated (allotted) as shown on the Enclosure Map of 1797 (BLARS: MA 15, Award Book E). The western part was designated as an allotment of 2 acres for a public 'Stone, Sand & Gravel Pit' and the other two portions were allotted to private landowners. It therefore seemed unlikely to me that a private castle site would have reverted to common field land requiring it to be dealt with at Enclosure. More likely any castle site on falling into disuse would have remained as a private close or closes making this unlikely to have been a castle site.

<12> Ed. James Scott Petre, 2012, The Castles of Bedfordshire, pp. 104-5 (Bibliographic reference). SBD13678.

Gazetteer entry (Castle Sites Now Discounted):
Ridgmont
SP 973363 (Castle Hill).
This was a low mound just to the north-west of Ridgmont village, once tentatively considered a possible motte but it has now been levelled. The site is known locally as Castle Hill. It seems most unlikely that it was a castle of any description. The map of the old enclosures and common fields at the time of the Enclosure Award, 1797, shows that this site was on common land, which adds to the improbability that it could ever have been a castle.
(Baker, Mottes, moats and ringworks, pp. 38, 42; Cotchin, pp. 1-5; Lowerre, Placing Castles, p. 22; CBC HER 33; personal communication from Stephen Coleman.)

<13> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: MA 15, Enclosure Map, 1797 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Refer to Ref. 11 and see Library Link.

Protected Status:

• Archaeological Notification Area

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Sources and Further Reading

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