Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: Although this site has been slightly disturbed, it is still a good example of a Norman motte (castle mound).

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1714 - 1973 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA1715 - 1970 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1716 - 1983 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA5871 - 2004 Emergency recording of road widening damage to East Dudston motte by Marches Archaeology (Ref: Marches EDF04A)
• ESA7740 - 2004 Initial visit to assess damage to motte at East Dudston Farm, Chirbury by SCCAS

Description

The mound at Dudstone has been recently cut away, to allow the passage of a road, by which the moat has been filled up to the extent of one half. The remainder is pretty perfect, and hold water. The top of this mound has been lowered, and some kind of gazebo built on it, of which traces remain <1a>
The motte is 4.2m high, heavily mutilated on the N and NE sides. Only a small fragment of a water-filled ditch survives on the S side. There is no sign of a bailey or of a building on the mound. OD FI 1973 <1>

A mutilated mound in a low situation, about 9ft in height on the N side, formerly surrounded by a ditch now 3ft deep. ..Its true diameter cannot now be determined. <3a>

Scheduling revised in 1995. Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the remains of a small motte castle situated on a low rise of land approximately 1km east of the Welsh border. It includes a well defined castle mound, or motte, roughly oval in plan with dimensions at base of 28m NW-SE by 20m transversely and standing up to 2.5m high. The summit of the motte is slightly rounded in profile and measures 8m by 6m. Around the south side of the motte there are the remains of a partly water-filled ditch averaging 4m wide with a counter-scarp, outer bank 0.9m high. Both the ditch and the bank would have originally continued around the remaining sides of the mound but the foundation excavations for farmbuildings and a roadway will have removed any archaeological evidence for either the bank or ditch on the west, north and east sides of the motte. All fencing within the area of the scheduling is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath is included <6>

Further damaged by road widening in 2004, when some emergency recording was carried out. <7><8><9>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2008. <10>

<00> Shropshire County Council SMR, Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards, SMR Card for PRN SA 01216 (Card index). SSA20722.

<01b> Anon, 1877, Archaeologia Cambrensis, p160 (Volume). SSA4951.

<01a> Clark G T, 1877, Article in Montgomeryshire Collections (Article in serial). SSA4952.

<01c> Anon, 1880, Archaeologia Cambrensis, p207 (Volume). SSA3312.

<01> Ordnance Survey, 1973, Ordnance Survey Record Card SO29NW2 (Card index). SSA4953.

<02> Musson Chris R, 1988-Mar-04, CPAT 88/04/0018 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA17239.

<03a> Spurgeon C J & King D J C, 1965, The Mottes in the Vale of Montgomery, p79 (Article in serial). SSA4084.

<03> Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC), 1986, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 20086 (Field Monument Warden Report). SSA4956.

<04> Musson Chris R, 1992-May-03, CPAT 92/C/0693 to 0695 (3 photos) (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA17240.

<05> Department of the Environment (DoE), 1974, Map of Scheduled area, 1974 (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA4954.

<06> English Heritage, 1995, Scheduling Papers (Revised Scheduling, 20/11/1995) (Scheduled Monument notification). SSA4955.

<07> Sears V, 2004, Motte at East Dudston Farm, Chirbury, Shropshire: a report on emergency archaeological recording (Watching brief report). SSA22098.

<08> Fradley Michael, 2004-Mar-10, East Dudston Farm, Chirbury [initial report on damage to motte] (Watching brief report). SSA28489.

<09> Watson Michael D, 2004-Mar, Letters concerning damage to motte at East Dudston Farm, Chirbury (Correspondence). SSA28490.

<10> Shropshire Council, 2008-Nov-25, SA0812_001 to SA0812_004 (4 photos) Flight: 08_SA-12 (Oblique aerial photograph). SSA25220.

Sources

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