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Monument Types

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Saxo Norman to Early Medieval - 1080 AD to 1217 AD)

Summary

The castle was built in c.1080 by Hugh Lupus. It was passed to Henry II in 1174 after a siege. In 1217 it was 'razed' by Henry III and never rebuilt. The castle is much affected by quarrying though parts of the bailey ditch are identifiable.

Additional Information

Scheduled Monument description:
Mountsorrel Castle is situated on a granite outcrop within the small town, mid-way between Loughborough and Leicester. It includes a motte and a second mound on the hill top, and the remaining part of the bailey ditch at the foot of the hill to the south.
Two natural high points of granite on the hill have been adapted within the castle. The northern of these is the castle motte which is roughly circular and part quarried away. It stands 2-3m high above the surrounding hill and about 18m in diameter at the base. 50m south of this is a second mound, also roughly circular, which is about 2m high above the surrounding hill and about 15m in diameter at the base. On the south side of the hill is the remaining part of the bailey ditch which survives for a length of 60m. It is about 12m wide and 2m deep. The bailey originally extended to the east and west of the protected area but the degree of archaeological survival in these areas is uncertain and hence they are not included in the scheduling.
The castle was founded by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Leicester c.1080. It was besieged by the King's forces to whom it fell in 1174. Henry II retained it when the earl of Leicester's lands were restored to him in or after 1177. The tower over the walls and other buildings were repaired in the 1190's and again in King John's reign. In 1217 Henry II ordered the castle to be destroyed and it was never rebuilt. Small scale excavations in 1952 revealed granite foundations within the motte and traces of sandstone blocks and medieval building material within the second mound to the south.
The motte today is topped by a war memorial which is excluded from the scheduling. Also excluded is a stone seat on the eastern side of the hill and, stone approach steps on the western slope of the monument. The ground beneath these features is included in the scheduling.

Newspapers report excavations by quarrymen in 1849. The Leicester Chronicle 25th August 1849 reported their findings. They discovered a shaft 12 feet by 11 feet at the top, at least 50 feet deep, cut through granite (a well?). This was located on the slope 20 feet below the summit. They hauled out many blocks of masonry, burnt oak timbers, animal bones, nails, bricks, an old hatchet and a horn. One of the blocks has the raised impression of two flowers on it.
(Information from History Regained, 'https://historyregained.net/mountsorrel-castle/', accessed 03/02/2021.)

The site has been badly damaged by quarrying but the bailey ditch is identifiable from SK 5812 1485 to SK 5823 1485 cutting off a promontory. In 1976 stone foundations bonded in clay and roughly plastered were noted. They were cut by a modern cottage and were thought to be below natural and perhaps in the bailey ditch (at SK 581 149).

The motte is now probably occupied by the war memorial. When it was built a bronze cauldron leg was found. (53.1927)

In 1976 stone foundations were noted, cut by a modern cottage, thought perhaps to be in the bailey ditch (at SK581149).

An earthwork survey was carried out in 1982.

In 1997 a large part of the garden of 4, Castle Hill, was cleared for landscaping. A large granite wall footing running north-south was recorded and a raised platform to the east with building foundations under turf. It was postulated that the east-west orientated building could be either the castle chapel or some defensive works for the southern access to the castle. The garden is on a seemingly natural platform that probably represents about a third of the bailey area. (RK 07/07/97)

<1> 1977-8, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 53, Vol 53 (1978), p37 (Journal). SLE5951.

The castle was built ?c.1080 by Hugh Lupus and passed to Henry II in 1174 after a siege. The first mention is c.1152 in an agreement between the Earls of Chester and Leicester. Repairs are mentioned in the 1190s and temp King John. In 1217 it was 'razed' by Henry III and never rebuilt.

<2> Renn, D, 1960, Norman Castles in Britain (Bibliographic reference). SLE6295.

See <1>

<3> Loughborough Archaeological Society, 1958 - 1989, The Bulletin of the Loughborough & District Archaeological Society, Vol 1 (1958), p9-10 (Journal). SLE410.

In 1952 FA excavated a layer of solid building material, C12th/C13th pottery and early medieval floor tile as well as a bronze ring (donated 323-5.1956 and A6.1983).

<4> 1978-9, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 54, Vol 54 (1979), p74 (Journal). SLE5932.

See <3>

<5> Throsby, J, 1789, Views of Leicestershire, p35-6 (Bibliographic reference). SLE6013.

In 1787 a prick spur (drawn and c.1200 AD) and several pieces of old coin were found at the 'Craggy Rock' in the castle and therefore probably the motte.

<6> Gentleman's Magazine, (1747), p740 (Journal). SLE3155.

See <5>

<7> Nichols J, The History and Antiquities of Leicestershire (Bibliographic reference). SLE7.

See <5>

<8> Hartley R F, 1989, The Medieval Earthworks of Central Leicestershire, p10, p25 (Bibliographic reference). SLE342.

"The castle was probably founded by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Leicester. It was taken over by King Henry II in 1174. In 1215 Saer de Quincy was granted custody of the site by King John. He took the side of the barons and held it on behalf of "Lewis the French King", who the barons had called to their assistance. The castle was besieged for Henry III by William Mareschal, Earl of Pembroke, and Ranulph Blundervill, Earl of Chester, but such as the resistance of the defenders, under Robert de Braybrooke, that they had to leave it untaken. However, a force on its way to relieve the garrison was defeated at Lincoln. When the rebellion collapsed the castle was given to Ranulph Blundervill, on condition that it was then razed to the ground (Nichols 1800, 85). Some traces of buildings survive on the summit of the granite outcrop, and a section of defensive bank and ditch survives on the south side."

<9> Elkin, Kathleen (ed), 2015, Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire, p136, "Medieval fortified sites of Leics & Rutland", Richard Knox (Bibliographic reference). SLE5149.

"The castle was built on a granite outcrop with commanding views of the Soar Valley and the road from Leicester to Loughborough (now the A6) in c.1080, possibly by Hugh Lupus. It is mentioned in the agreement of c.1150 and was besieged and taken by Henry II in 1174. Repair bills of the 1190s and 1200s survive. In 1215 King John granted the castle to Saer de Quincy, who then joined the rebel barons. It withstood a siege by the Earls of Pembroke and Chester, but after the collapse of the rebellion the land was given to the Earl of Chester on the condition that the castle was destroyed.
"The now slight motte was on the northern end of the hill and the bailey, within which various earthworks survive, covered the rest of the summit. Some of the earthworks may be the result of quarrying. Stone footings and solid spreads of building rubble have been seen on several occasions within the area of the bailey and early medieval pottery and metal finds have been recorded on the summit during excavations by Ardron (1952). Defensive earthworks survive on the southern slopes of the hill (Hartley 1989, 10 and 25)."

Sources

Associated Finds

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
• CAULDRON (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
• FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
• RING (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval - 1067 AD to 1349 AD)
• SPUR (Early Medieval - 1067 AD to 1349 AD)

Designations

• Conservation Area: Mountsorrel
• Scheduled Monument 1010188: MOUNTSORREL MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE

Associated Images

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