Monument Type(s):

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

Summary

Scheduled Monument: Although partly submerged beneath a pond, this is still a good example of a Norman motte and bailey castle.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA372 - 1971 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA373 - Undated field observation by Shropshire County Council
• ESA374 - 1984 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA8867 - 2019 WB on land at the Old Granary, Brockton, Much Wenlock by Aeon Archaeology

Description

Diameter is 15-20 yds, about 1/3 of that high, and with level top. A small stunted oak is growing on it. Around it is the remains of a ditch <1a>

Motte 2.1m high with water filled ditch . OS FI 1971 <2>
The eastern part of the bailey bank, surrounding the motte on the east survives, with length of bank running NW for 200ft towards stream <2a>

Site is now afforested except for bailey converted to pond <3>

The area west of the motte has been turned into a large embanked pond, and the bailey bank has been enhance to act as a dam. The motte, a low broad mound with a flat top, is covered with dead trees and bushes. I Burrow FI <5>

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

Scheduling revised in 1995. Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the remains of a motte and bailey castle in a valley bottom adjacent to the village of Brockton on the north side of Corve Dale. It includes a well defined motte of rock and earth, roughly oval in plan with dimensions of 25m north to south by 20m east to west and up to 2.lm above the surrounding ground surface. A ditch averaging 8m wide and 1.5m deep surrounds the eastern half of the motte. The western half of the ditch is now submerged beneath a large pond which lies up to the motte margin. A bailey, which would have protected the domestic buildings of the castle, is believed to have been attached to the west side of the motte. This area is now submerged beneath the water of a partly embanked pond some 60m east to west by 40m north to south and is not included in the scheduling. There is a length of bank which curves from the north side of the motte towards the north west for 60m. Although it has been strengthened to act as a dam for the pond, its lower levels are believed to represent the northern side of the bailey. This is included within the scheduling <9>

Photographed during aerial photographic survey in 2010. <10>

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken as part of the construction of a new affordable dwelling on land at the Old Granary, Brockton, to the NE of castle, in January 2019. This revealed the existence of a single pit cut into the site within the southernmost extent of the new dwelling’s footprint. This pit had been backfilled with modern building materials and probable farm waste; the ceramic found in the lowest visible deposit dated the pit to sometime within the early part of the 20th century. <11>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards, SMR Card for PRN SA 00358 (Card index). SSA20722.

<01a> Potts G, 1926, Correspondence, 11/12/1926 (Correspondence). SSA1642.

<01> Ordnance Survey, 1977, Ordnance Survey Record Card SO59SE5 (Card index). SSA1644.

<02a> Victoria County History, 1908, Victoria County History 1, p398 (Volume). SSA178.

<02b> Hogg A H A & King D J C, 1963, Early Castles in Wales and the Marches, p99 (Article in serial). SSA1163.

<02> Ordnance Survey, 1971, Ordnance Survey Record Card SO59SE2 (Card index). SSA1643.

<03> Musson Chris R, 1989-Mar-17, CPAT 89/MB/0305 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA16435.

<04> Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC), 1986, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 20813 (Field Monument Warden Report). SSA1647.

<05> Burrow Ian, 1976 ?, Visit Notes, 1976? (Site visit report). SSA1648.

<06> Ministry of Works, 1957, Map of Scheduled area, 1957 (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA1645.

<07> English Heritage, 1990/ 1991, Correspondence, 1990-1991 (Correspondence). SSA1641.

<08> Horton Wendy B, 1990/ 1991, MPP Evaluation File (TEXT). SSA20084.

<09> English Heritage, 1995, Scheduling Papers (Revised Scheduling, 19/05/1995) (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA1646.

<10> Shropshire Council, 2010-Mar-8, SA1005_146 (1 photo) Flight: 10_SA_05 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA26665.

<11> Dean Josh, 2019, Land at the Old Granary, Brockton, Much Wenlock, Shropshire: archaeological watching brief (Watching brief report). SSA30673.

Sources

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