More information : (SP 79972082) Bolebec Castle (NR) (1)
Bolebec Castle, a motte and bailey with a tradition of a masonry keep, is listed as a ringwork by Chateau Gaillard. An artificially scarped natural mound forms the motte with traces of building foundations on the summit. The bailey to the north on higher ground is triangular shaped; consists of a ditch and 15 ft high rampart both now partly destroyed. (See plan). Built probably by Hugh de Bolebec during the reign of Stephen (1135-54). The ruins were demolished at the end of the Civil War. (2-5)
A castle mound with bailey, situated in a commanding position at the end of a spur, bounded on the south east and west sides by natural slopes. The name Bolebec Castle (verified) is applied locally to the stone-built castle which formerly occupied the earthwork, and not the earthwork itself.
Presumably the castle comprised a curtain wall around the summit with interior dwellings and outbuilldings, but nothing remains of this and the only stonework observed is an interrupted line of footings, 24.0m long, which just protrudes through the turf towards the south side. The south east part of the interior is flat, and is the only logical position for the main castle building.
The castle mound, preserved under permanent pasture, is scarped out of the natural slope of the spur to enclose a sub-oval area about 80.0m north-south by about 60.0m east west. Only in the north arc is an inner counter-scarp bank 0.8m maximum height.
At about 5.0m below the level of the enclosed area is a moat, now dry except for a marshy area around a spring in the south east arc. This spring was undoubtedly the water source for the moat. The north part of the moat is now occupied by Castle Lane, and the west arc is mutilated by later ground disturbance.
There is no obvious entrance; the two ways up to the summit from the west and north east appear to be modern.
The bailey lies to the north of the castle in the garden of Bolebec Place, and has been severely muilated by landscaping. On
the east side the rampart is reduced to an outward-facing scarp, and in the west, the massiveness of the bank suggests it has been enlarged and altered in recent years. (Compare the 1973 survey with Allcroft's plan of 1908.) No finds have been made. Re-surveyed at 1:2500. (6)
No change since report of 24.7.73. AM Survey correct. (7)
A rapid examination of air photography (8a) shows the earthworks of Bolbec Castle. (8)
Listed by Cathcart King. (9) |