More information : (SO 81328204) Castle (NR) (Remains of) (1)
At Castle Hill, or Baron Hill, there is a small ruinous timber-framed building, used as a cowshed, mainly of 15th century date but bearing traces of earlier features. On the hillside itself is a segment of a moat encircling a third of the hill and the embankments of three communicating fishponds covering about 4 acres. The two lower ponds still contain water while the upper is used as an orchard. (2)
Duignan (2), a usually competent authority, believed these remains to be those of the royal hunting lodge of the Forest of Kinver recorded in documents of 1195-6, but Colvin (3) shows that this lay on the site of Stourton Castle (SO 88 SE 6). There had been an earlier royal hunting lodge at Kinver, recorded in 1184-5, but its site is unknown. (3)
Listed by Cathcart King as a possible castle site. (4)
The site was visited on 06-FEB-1997. The site is traditionally associated with the site of a Royal hunting lodge favoured by King John. Although the site displays evidence of domestic occupation for a considerable period and the existence of fragmentary building remains in sandstone and of historic fishponds tends to confirm its importance, we were not able to identify the specific location of the medieval remains. However, the site is still regarded as having a high archaeological potential. (5) |