Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: A fine example of a Norman motte and bailey castle overlooking Corve Dale.

Related records: None recorded

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA4427 - 1978 field observation by Shropshire County Council
• ESA4428 - 1954 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA4429 - 1982 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA4430 - 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA8727 - 2018 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8625 - 2014 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8621 - 2015 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8361 - 2016 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA8362 - 2017 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England
• ESA9067 - 2019 Heritage at Risk Survey by Historic England

Description

Corfton, SO 497847, ringwork castle, possibly with a bailey. <1a>

Corfton Mount, Diddlebury. The motte, which has a 4 ft high rampart round its summit, stands 16 ft above a surrounding ditch 3 ft deep except on the west where it has been destroyed. To the east is a rectangular bailey which must have originally been enclosed by a bank and ditch now visible only on the north, where the bank is 1 ft high and the ditch 2 ft deep. The east side is now marked merely by a scarp, and on the south only the ditch remains. <1b>

"The Mount", a motte (not a ringwork) situated upon the NE end of a ridge, with a rectangular bailey lying upon the ridge-end slopes below. The motte is sub-circular in plan, with base diameters of 50.0m NE-SW and 42.0m transversely. It rises 6.0m above the base of the ditch and has a low bank around the S half of the summit, 5.0m in width, 1.0m in height. The ditch remains extant on the N and E sides but has been destroyed elsewhere by the encroachment of farm buildings. It is 8.0m in width, 1.0m in depth and has a low outer bank. The bailey is 70.0m by 50.0m in area, and is bounded by a low scarp on the N side, and by a ditch, 7.0m in width, 1.0m in depth on the S side, which is crossed by a causeway towards the W end. Resurveyed at 1:2500. <1c>

Site in fair condition. Some disturbance by cattle on the NW and tree roots on the W <4>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1, Medium score as one of 46 Motte and Bailey castles <8>

Scheduling revised in 1995. Scheduling description: ->

->The monument includes 'The Mount' motte and bailey castle, situated on the north east end of a low ridge overlooking Corve Dale to the south east. It includes a motte, oval in plan, measuring at its base 50m north east to south west by 42m north west to south east and standing to a height of 5.5m. The flat summit of the motte is similarly oval in plan with dimensions of 37m by 25m and has a well defined bank around its outer edge. This is best preserved around the southern half of the motte where it remains up to 4m wide and 1.2m high. The ditch surrounding the mound is well defined around the north and east sides where it averages 6m wide and lm deep; it will survive as a buried feature of similar proportions around the remaining south west side of the motte. Material from the ditch has been thrown outwards to form a low counterscarp bank 4m wide and up to 0.9m high along the outer edge of the ditch. ->

-> A roughly rectangular bailey, which would have provided protection for the domestic buildings associated with the motte, is attached to the east side of the motte. It occupies ground sloping to the north and east and has overall dimensions of approximately 120m north west to south east by 100m transversely with an enclosed area of approximately one ha. The bailey perimeter earthworks can be recognised throughout most of their extent. Around the south east side they comprise a well defined ditch averaging 7m wide and 1.5m high on its inner north side, 1.3m on its outer. This lies on a south west to north east alignment and runs for approximately 70m. At its west end it is overlain by a small modern farm building which obscures the relationship between the ditch and the motte, although this relationship will be preserved beneath the building. A causeway 3m wide crosses the ditch 14m from the east face of the building. At its downslope, eastern end, the ditch widens out to form a roughly rectangular hollow 20m north west to south east by 12m transversely. From this point the inner scarp of the ditch turns to the north west, running for approximately 100m as a steep scarp up to 3m high forming the east side of the bailey. A sunken lane runs parallel to this side of the bailey, possibly following the alignment of an outer ditch. At its northern end this scarp turns to the south west as a well defined scarp 1.5m high, flanked by an outer ditch 8m wide and 0.5m deep. Both scarp and ditch fade out after approximately 100m, the scarp curving at its western end in towards the motte. The relationship between this earthwork and the motte is obscured by a later hedgeline. ->

-> The bailey is split into two portions by a low north west facing scarp 0.5m high, which lies on a south west to north east alignment joining the outer bank of the motte with the eastern side of the bailey. The interior ground surface of both parts of the bailey contain a number of irregular earthworks which probably relate to the occupation of the bailey. The metalled surface of the lane to the immediate east of the bailey, sections of farm buildings and fences which fall within the area of the scheduling are excluded though the ground beneath is included. The remains of the small chapel to the west of the motte are not included in the scheduling, protection by listing being more appropriate. <9>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2008-2010. <10><11><12>

Listed by Cathcart King. <13>

Sources

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