Monument Type(s):

• ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• MOATED SITE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)
• MOTTE AND BAILEY? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: Once interpreted as a Norman motte and bailey castle, this is now believed to be the site of a substantial stone-built medieval house set in a complex of moats intended more for display than defence.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA4477 - 1954 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA4478 - 1982 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA4479 - 1971 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA4480 - 1980 field observation by the Ordnance Survey

Description

Castle extant by late C12, in decay in C16 <6>

Corfham Castle, a moated castle mound and bailey, is situated between the River Corve and Pye brook, upon a low ridge-end, above a shallow coombe dropping away to the south west. The site controls Corvedale to the north-east and south west. The castle mound measures 50m E/W by 46m transversley, and stands to a height of 2m above the moat. Upon the mound are traces of an Edwardian stone built castle, measuring about 30m E/W by 24m transversely. At the north west corner are turf-covered foundations of a round tower, 7m in diameter, with traces of the castle west wall running south from it. On the east, is a turf-covered mound of fallen masonry along the line of the castle east wall, 5.5m wide and 1.1m high. There are suggestions of round towers at the north east and south east corners, whilst at the SW corner, turf covered walling running Se for 5m from the end of the west wall indicates a larger, rectangular tower, the site of which is marked by a small quarry. There is a general scatter of broken masonry over the whole site. The moat encircling the castle mound is from 10m to 15m wide, and from 0.4m deep on the south to 1.5m on the north. The SW corner of the moat had been ploughed out. On the north, is a rectangular bailey, measuring 70m E/W by 50m transversely. It is enclosed by a moat 16m in width, and in depth 3.5m externally by 3m internally. An inner rampart now exists only on the north side, but there are traces of it having existed on the east and west. It is 7m wide, and 1.2m high, 55m of the moat on the n side having recently been filled in from the NW corner eastwards, and the rampart destroyed. The castle moat was kept filled with water...(via)the SE corner .. came from a stream diverted from the Pye Brook...across a meadow...The water discharged itself at the S end of the W arm ..All watercourses and the moats are now dry and under grass. OS FI 1980 <1>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, Medium score as one of 46 Motte and Bailey castles <14>

When the scheduling was revised in 1995 the site was reclassified as a moated site. Scheduling description: ->

-> Corfham Castle includes the remains of a moated house, an associated moated enclosure and a water management system occupying the north end of a low ridge overlooking a shallow coombe to the south west and situated midway between the River Corve to the west and Pye Brook to the east. Near the centre of the monument is a roughly rhomboidal moated platform with internal dimensions of 32m both north to south and east to west. Its level surface stands 2m above the bottom of the surrounding moat and some 0. 4m above the level of the surrounding natural ground surface. Visible on the top of the platform are a series of surface irregularities and a scatter of broken masonry. These are the remains of a large rectangular building measuring approximately 24m east to west by 20m transversely. A linear bank of stone rubble 20m long by 5m wide and lm high marks the east side of the building. Circular hollows at the north west, north east and south east corners of the building probably represent the foundations of three circular towers each with an approximate diameter of 6m. A rouqhly rectangular quarry hollow flanked by a low bank running south east for 5m from the south west corner of the building may be the site of a rectangular corner tower. Surrounding the platform is a well defined moat varying between 15m and 10m wide, and from 0.4m deep in the south to 1.6m on the north. The south west corner of the moat has been largely infilled but will survive as a buried feature. ->

-> To the immediate north of the moated platform, adjacent to the north side of the moat is a large rectangular moated enclosure. It lies orientated roughly north east to south west and has internal dimensions of 70m north west to south east by 50m transversely. It is enclosed by a substantial ditch up to 16m wide and 3.5m deep externally and 3m internally. Along the north side of the enclosure there is an inner bank up to 5m wide and 0.9m high. Faint traces of a similarly positioned bank can be recognised along the east and west sides of the enclosure. The original entrance to the enclosure probably lay at its north west angle. However there is some evidence of later alterations in this area, where the enclosure ditch has been partly infilled and the inner rampart removed. A well defined channel runs for some 120m from the south east corner of the enclosure, curving towards the Pye Brook to the east. Though now dry, this leat would originally have supplied water to the moats. A low mound south of this supply leat, orientated roughly east to west and measuring some 30m long by 20m wide and 1.4m high, forms a part of the water control system. Water from the moat system would have discharged from the south end of the west arm of the larger moated enclosure, running westwards to join with the River Corve. All watercourses and both moats are now dry. <15>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2008 and 2010. <16><17>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards, SMR Card for PRN SA 00179 (Card index). SSA20722.

<01b> Anon, 1890, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society, pxv-xvi (Volume). SSA927.

<01c> Victoria County History, 1908, Victoria County History 1, p406-407 with plan (Volume). SSA178.

<01d> Gaydon A T & Rowley R T, 1965, Deserted Villages in Shropshire (Article in serial). SSA5237.

<01e> Rowley R T, 1966, Deserted Settlements in South Shropshire (Article in serial). SSA1666.

<01a> Hogg A H A & King D J C, 1967, Masonry Castles in Wales and the Marches, p87, p89 (Article in serial). SSA243.

<01> Ordnance Survey, 1980, Ordnance Survey Record Card SO58NW7 (Card index). SSA929.

<02> Cambridge University Collection of Air Photos (CUCAP), 1966-Jan-30, CUCAP AMY29 to AMY30 (2 Photos) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16223.

<03> Musson Chris R, 1988-Mar-04, CPAT 88/04/0004 to 0005 (2 photos) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16224.

<04> Musson Chris R, 1989-Jul-28, CPAT 89/MB/1053 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16225.

<05> Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC), 1983, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 13509 (Field Monument Warden Report). SSA934.

<06> Rowley R T, 1972, The Shropshire Landscape, p87-88 (Monograph). SSA928.

<07> Musson Chris R, 1988-Mar-04, CPAT 88/MB/0043 to 0045 (3 photos) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16226.

<08> Anon, 1984, Slides (Photograph). SSA933.

<09> Musson Chris R, 1992-Jun-26, CPAT 92/MB/0734 to 0735 (2 photos) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16227.

<10> Musson Chris R, 1992-Jun-26, CPAT 92/C/1032 to 1033 (2 photos) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16228.

<11> Department of the Environment (DoE), Map of Scheduled area (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA931.

<12> Barret Gill, 1991, Barret Gill, Oblique View, 1991: 91/04/L/03-06 (Colour slide) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16229.

<13> Barret Gill, 1991, Barret Gill, Barret Gill, Oblique View, 1991: 91/04/L/24 (Colour slide): 91/04/L/26-27 (Colour slide) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16230.

<14> Horton Wendy B, 1990/ 1991, MPP Evaluation File (TEXT). SSA20084.

<15> English Heritage, 1995, Scheduling Papers (Revised Scheduling, 26/07/1995) (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA932.

<16> Shropshire Council, 2008-Jan-30, SA0802_116 to SA0802_119 (4 photos) Flight: 08_SA_02 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA25458.

<17> Shropshire Council, 2010-Mar-8, SA1005_164 to SA1005_170 (7 photos) Flight: 10_SA_05 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA26213.

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.