More information : (SP 4387 7957) Castle Mound (G.T.). (1)
Earthworks of moated mount and court type, occupying the highest point, near the western extremity of a short elevated ridge running E-W. The mount has a diameter at the base of 260', and has a flat top 50' across. It rises 60' from the bottom of the 40' wide, 20' deep ditch which surrounds it. To the west of the mount lie two courts, an inner and an outer, separated from each other by a ditch and rampart, but both enclosed within a great ditch and inner rampart which branches laterally from that which surrounds the mount.
It is doubtful if any of the 3 entrances into the courts are ancient; possibly the original entrance was near the northern corner of the work where a small mound exists upon the rampart. Local tradition in Dugdale's time preserved the memory of a keep here, but no masonry has ever been found.
Roman coins, including one of Valens (A.D. 364-78) were found in the north ditch of the bailey by F.W.S.Tulett when digging in the schoolhouse garden in 1932. (2-3)
Visited 17.5.56 with G. Webster and B.A. Stanley. The outer bailey is additional to the inner, and the N. and S. ramparts of the latter have been increased in height, presumably when the addition was made. At its S. end the W. ditch of the inner bailey appears to curve in under the rampart, suggesting that in its original form it was more nearly rectangular than at present, and this is borne out by the unnecessary thickness of the base of the S. rampart. It is not impossible that the inner bailey incorporated the western half of a small Ro. posting station the rest of which would have been destroyed or covered by the motte; but in view of the place name ('Low' element) and the fact that the road from the S. is sighted on the motte, it seems more likely that before the castle was built there was a natural hillock there, possibly with a barrow on top. (4)
A motte and double bailey with two causewayed entrances central to the west wall of each court.
Published survey (25" 1961) revised. (5)
Brief description. Documentary sources consulted. Castle seized 1095, probably abandoned by 1173. (6)
Scheduled as "Brinklow tumulus (motte and bailey)". (7)
Brinklow was one of the castles in the stewardship of the Mowbray family, and is not documented among their castles in 1173-4. (8) |