Monument Type(s):

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

Summary

Scheduled Monument: A well-preserved example of a medieval motte and bailey castle, of particular interest because of its proximity to the medieval town of Whitchurch, and proven to contain extensive archaeological remains.

Related records: None recorded

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1081 - 1916 Excavation at Pan Castle, Whitchurch by H E Forrest
• ESA1082 - 1957 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1083 - 1962 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA1084 - 1976 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA1085 - 1982 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1086 - 1983 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1087 - 1991 field observation by Shropshire County Council

Description

An irregularly shaped mound with a near rectangular bailey. The motte is sited on low-lying ground which but for drainage would be waterlogged . The bailey slopes down from W to E and the defences are markedly stronger on the west. It seems probable that marsh or water was part of the defence on the east. OS FI 1962 ->

-> Motte has base diameter of 65m N/S and 80m E/W and a height of 3.8m . The flat summit is 45.m N/S and 60m E/W. The encircling ditch is 10m to 15m wide and 1m to 1.5m deep and there is a counterscarp on the N and W sides, 1.7m in height. The rectangular bailey on the S measures 170m E/W by 140m transversely. On the W and S sides it is enclosed by an earthen rampart, up to 15m in width and 20m in height with an outer ditch, average width 9.0m, and up to 1.9m in depth. On the N and E sides there are fragments of an outward facing scarp, 2m in width, 0.5m in height. The site of the original entrance is not known. A causewayed entrance on the W is modern. A rectangular depression within the SE corner of the bailey measuring 18m by 8m and 0.7m deep was possibly a fishpond. No visible remains of masonry. OS FI 1976 <1>

In 1916 E Thompson wrote that "About a dozen soldiers have been digging the last three days at Pan Castle. The remains of a bridge were found in the moat where the entrance seems to have been, but nothing beyond the bones of modern beasts, some old shaped clay pipes, and modern pottery scraps have come to light. At the top of the mound, in the centre, a large hole has been dug some 10ft deep, but beyond stiff clay nothing has shown any hope of going deeper. They are digging a trench at the corner of the outer earthwork today, and failing that I do not see any object in going on...I propose filling it all up on Monday". <10>

The castle ..is in good condition. ...There is a little erosion on the east side of the motte and a rake or machine appears to have gone up the entrance and along the counterscarp bank on the north side. There is a large quarry scoop west of the motte and a rectangular ditched feature immediately north of that...W Horton . FI. 1991 <12>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1: Low score as one of 52 Fishponds; Medium score as one of 46 Motte and Bailey Castles <15>

Scheduling revised in 2001. Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the earthwork arid buried remains of a motte and bailey castle, occupying a low-lying position in an area of undulating and formerly marshy land. From this location there are extensive views to the east and north east, including the nearby town of Whitchurch where an early medieval castle is also known to have been built. ->

-> The oval, steep-sided, flat-topped motte measures approximately 62m by 78m at its base and 47m by 60m across the top and stands to a height of 4.5m. It is surrounded by a waterlogged ditch, between 7m and 15m wide, and a large outer bank, averaging 17m wide and up to 1.2m high. Within the northern part of the ditch is a causeway. As part of a small-scale archaeological investigation conducted in 1916 this causeway was partly excavated and the remains of a bridge were found. ->

-> Occupying the sloping ground to the south of the motte is a large parallelogram-shaped bailey. The earthwork defences enclose an area of nearly 2ha. It is defined on the western and southern sides by a rampart between 7m and 13m wide, and standing up to 1.5m high, with an external ditch averaging 14m wide which retains water. To the east the bailey is defined by a scarp up to 1m high. The adjacent external ditch has been infilled and is no longer visible at ground level, but will survive as a buried feature about 12m wide. The northern side is bounded by a natural depression where the slopes appear to have been deliberately accentuated in places. Across this depression a raised causeway has been constructed, which probably connected to a bridge providing access to the matte. On the western side of the bailey, about the mid-point, there is a break in the defences, which has been enlarged in modern times but may represent the site of an original entranceway into the bailey. The causeway across the south west corner of the defences is entirely modern. A series of drainage ditches cutting across the bailey and the low-lying surrounding ground appear to be post-medieval and modern in date. Within the bailey, on the eastern side, are the remains of two small rectangular ponds, constructed to provide water for livestock. ->

-> All fence posts, the water trough and the surrounding concrete slabs, are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath all these features is included <16>

Pan Castle is recorded as having been located 'at Dodington'. The location of this massive earthwork so far from the present Dodington (part of Whitchurch) strongly suggests that the original core of Dodington was several kilometres from the street that now bears its name. <17>

Photographed during aerial photographic survey in 2007. <18>

Detail of the bailey is clearly evident on LiDAR imagery. <19>

Sources

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