More information : [TF 3950 8361] Castle Hill. [GT]. (1)
West of Castle Carlton are three great, moat-surrounded mounds, supposed to be parts of the castle of Hugh Bardolf, a justiciar in
the reign of Richard I. Scheduled. (2-3)
A motte and double bailey, heavily overgrown but in good condition.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. (4)
The Medieval motte and bailey referred to by the previous authorities was seen as an earthwork and has been mapped from good quality air photographs. The motte was visible as a substantial mound 40m in diameter centred at TF 3950 8357. The bailey was visible as a raised sub circular platform, 135m in diameter, surrounded by a deep broad ditch. The motte sits on the north east corner of this platform. Another broad deep ditch bisects the bailey giving rise to the interpretation of a double bailey. Traces of an outer circuit to the bailey were visible as a cropmark of a low bank, 70m long, to the north west of the bailey centred at TF 3957 8367. This bank appears to continue as an earthwork into the wood south and west of the motte and bailey. To the north east of the motte three banks are visible outside and parallel to the bailey ditch. These extend for about 70m. Their function is not clear but it is presumably the fragmentary remains of some defensive structure. The motte and bailey were visible on early photography with only a relatively light cover of vegetation but on later photographs it is visible covered in dense scrub and trees.
(Morph No. LI.147.4.1-6)
It is thought there was almost certainly an earlier castle on the site of the present one (5a).
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (5)
The castle was extant temp Henry II onward, when it was in possession of Bardolf (sub Hay). (6) |