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Monument Types

• TOWER? (Late Anglo Saxon - 850 AD? to 1066 AD?)
• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Saxo Norman to Early Medieval - 1086 AD? to 1300 AD?)

Summary

Norman Castle (built c.1086) with a possible Saxon manorial precursor. The castle was apparently destroyed by order of Henry II in 1176 and seems to have been replaced by a more impressive castle before a manorial complex developed to the south in the C13th.

Additional Information

Scheduled Monument description extract:
The castle motte is situated on the north side of the site. It is oval in shape, 5-6m high with a flatish top and measures 38m from east-west and 25m north-south. To the east of the motte is a flat bailey area extending for 20m and enclosed by a ditch. The bailey ditch section survives for a length of 35m, is 15m wide and 2m deep. On its outer east side it has a slight outer bank 1m high. Excavations in advance of the by-pass road which now truncates the site on the north side revealed evidence that the motte had been built around a substantial stone building measuring 7m x 5m with walls standing at up to 2m high. The exact nature and function of this early building is not fully understood. The castle was built by Hugh de Grantmesnil towards the end of the 11th century. It was beseiged and eventually destroyed by Henry II in 1176. Subsequently the site was re-used as the location for a medieval manorial complex.

The site is essentially a Norman castle that remained an important manorial complex throughout the medieval period. (PL 08/07/87)

The motte survives behind Groby Old Hall next to the A50 bypass. It is c.30m across and 7m high. Little survives of the bailey but a map of 1757 shows an elogated oval enclosing the motte and an area to the west. The motte has a gazebo on it. (OS records) (PL 08/07/87)

<1> Nichols J, The History and Antiquities of Leicestershire, Vol 4 pt 2 (1811), p631 (Bibliographic reference). SLE7.

The building of the castle is said to have been by Hugh de Grantemesnil and it was destroyed by order of Henry II in 1176. Ditches were filled with earth by Thomas, 2nd Marquis of Dorset, intending to make a herbere out of it. Nichols also mentions 'a very antient stone wall' some 10-15 yards long c.100yds above the site of the keep.

<2> 1964, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 39, Vol 39 (1963-4), p51 (Journal). SLE5900.

Excavations were carried out in 1962/3; the rock-cut ditch of the bailey proved to be very deep and the motte was shown to surround a stone tower.

<3> 1997, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 71, Vol 71 (1997), p22-25 (Journal). SLE5945.

Groby, in "Early Leicestershire Castles: Archaeology and Landscape History" by Oliver Creighton.
Excavations 1962-3 recorded archaeological remains in two areas. A north-south section through the bailey defences north of the motte sectioned a massive rock-cut ditch, c.15-18m wide. Within the body of the motte was evidence of a standing stone structure of well-mortared, granite construction. Only the south-east corner of this was revealed, demonstrating it to have measured a minimum of 6.1 x 4.9m and to have stood 1.8-2.1m high.
Analysis of the castle in relation to its Mediaeval landscpe, the church, manor etc.

<4> Hartley R F, 2008, Medieval Earthworks of South-West Leicestershire (Hinckley & Bosworth), p21 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1014.

"Castle Hill (1) is a kidney-shaped mound, up to 7 metres in height, which used to be surrounded on its north and east sides by a semi-circular section of bank (2) flanked by inner and outer ditches. The survey was carried out on Spring 1984."

<5> Finn, N, 2009, Groby Old Hall, Markfield Road, Groby: Historic Building Assessment (Unpublished document). SLE1777.

The historic building assessment undertaken for Groby Old Hall in 2009 contains some historical information about the castle.
Report is in ADS Library: 10.5284/1012622 - http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1012622

<6> Adcock, J & Wood, E, 2011, Geophysical Survey Report: Groby Old Hall, Leicestershire (Unpublished document). SLE3180.

Geophysical survey work was carried out by the Time Team in 2010. The three sides of the keep were well defined. The northern side had been quarried away. Breaks in the response were thought to relate to the stairs and a doorway recorded during the 1960s excavation. There appeared to be revetment stones and a possible structure extending to the south of the keep.

<7> 2011, Groby Old Hall, Groby, Leicestershire: Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results (Unpublished document). SLE3181.

Trial trenching by the Time Team, following the geophysical survey, did not find any evidence for Saxon activity on site. It was thought that the keep was built in the C12th/C13th following the demise of the first castle. Two trenches were opened up on the motte; they recorded the stone keep, built directly onto the bedrock, with the motte built up around it. A large outer wall was constructed around the keep. There was no evidence for the destruction of the castle - the northern wall of the keep was quarried away during the post-medieval period. (Also, there are C18th images showing a building still standing.) A trench across the bailey, to the east, recorded banks and an outer ditch. The ditch appeared to have been backfilled in the late C15th/C16th, presumably so that a garden could be laid out for the newly built Groby Old Hall.
Report is in ADS Library: 10.5284/1028032- http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1028032

<8> Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 2011, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 85, Vol 85 (2011), p225-6 (Journal). SLE4366.

The 2010 excavations were summaries in Transactions in 2011.

<9> Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 2015, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 89, Vol 89 (2015), p153-163 (Journal). SLE5218.

The 2010 Time Team work was reported in Transactions in 2015. Evidence was found for the construction of the keep and a section was excavated across what is likely to have been the bailey ditch.

<10> Richards, Gerwyn, 2011, An archaeological watching brief at Old Hall Farm, Groby (Unpublished document). SLE3663.

A watching brief undertaken in 2011 to the east of the site, adjacent to the farmyard but within the Scheduled Monument, noted a demolition layer dating to the 19th or early 20th Century. This layer became softer and noticeably sank towards the eastern part of the stripped area, coinciding with the alignment of the castle ditch and confirming the ditch continued into the proposed development area.
Report is in ADS Library: 10.5284/1042047- http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1042047

<11> Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 2012, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 86, Vol 86 (2012), p224 (Journal). SLE4254.

Notes on the 2011 watching brief are published in 'Transactions'.

<12> Elkin, Kathleen (ed), 2015, Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire, p133-4, "Medieval fortified sites of Leics & Rutland", Richard Knox (Bibliographic reference). SLE5149.

"A surviving motte, c.30m across and 7m high, with an elongated oval bailey, which enclosed the motte and an area to the west, as shown on an estate plan of 1754. The castle is thought to have been built by Hugh de Grandmesnil in the late 11th century and was slighted by order of Henry II in 1176, seemingly by undermining the keep and removing part of the motte (Creighton 1997, 22). The Ferrers family took over the site between 1279 and 1445, when the Greys moved in. The motte ditch was filled in during the early 16th century, by the second marquis of Dorset (Nichols 1811, 631). Nichols also mentions a very ancient stone wall over 100 yards long 'above the site of the keep'. A stone wall with an arched doorway survives above ground close to the modern church. Excavations by Brian Davison in 1962/3 in advance of the A50 bypass recorded the northern bailey ditch as rock cut, 15-18m wide and very deep. The motte had been built around a thick walled, granite building measuring at least 20 by 16 feet (TLAHS 1964, 51) that may well have stood proud of the summit of the motte to provide a keep (Creighton 1997, 22). The 2010 'Time Team' excavation reopened this area and recorded steps descending into eh base of the tower and revealed its dressed stone profile. They concluded that the tower might be pre-conquest (Wessex Archaeology 2011). The site remained important as a manorial centre throughout the medieval period and the plan of an impressive range of domestic buildings was recorded. To the south-east of the motte, a later stone manor house was built, which includes mid 15th century brick towers, similar in style to those at Kirby Muxloe Castle, complete with diaper work seemingly showing the Ferrers family crest (Dryden 1911, 103-6)."

<13> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Medieval motte and bailey castle surviving as an earthwork. The Castle was built in the late C11th century by Hugh de Grantmesnil and was destroyed in 1172. Excavations in 1962-3 showed the motte was built around an existing stone structure of unknown function, possibly a tower. Fishponds to north destroyed by road by-pass. The oval castle motte is 5 to 6 metres high with a flattish top and measures 38 metres east to west and 25 metres north to south. To the east is a flat bailey area extending for 20 metres and enclosed by a ditch surviving for a length of 35 metres and 15 metres wide and 2 metres deep. On its outer east side it has a slight bank 1 metre high. Scheduled."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=921163', accessioned 25/09/2024.

<14> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping, 1930 (Map). SLE7243.

(SK 5239 0764) Castle (GT) (Site of) Moat (GT)

<15> 1928, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 15, p196-201 (Journal). SLE5949.

At the back of Groby Hall (SK 50 NW 2) is the castle mound and a few adjoining ditches of Groby Castle, destroyed by Henry II after the feudal revolt, 1173.The mound is, at its highest point 22 feet high. An inclined plane descending southwards from the eastern side is probably an original entrance. The plan of the bailey is lost but a portion of a double ditch and bank remains on the north side. There are other entrenchments to the north-east which appear to belong to later, manorial, defences (See SK 50 NW 88).
(See also <16>

<16> Page, William (ed), 1907, The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 1, p259 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1156.

See <15>

<17> Field Investigators Comments, M P Dare (Website). SLE3488.

The moat is either connected with the manor house or the castle and there are some probable fishponds to the north.

<18> Field Investigators Comments, R B L Work/23-JUN-1953 (Website). SLE3488.

A well preserved motte which has, on its N and NE sides, portions of two dry ditches, the inner one probably representing the remains of a surrounding moat, and the outer ditch probably represents the moat which surrounded the later manor house (See SK 50 NW 2). The inclined plane is indicated by slopes shown on the SE side of the motte.
Some banks and depressions at SK 5245 0775 are, as suggested above, probably the remains of manorial fishponds connected with either the castle or the manor house.

<19> Journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1964, p255 (Journal). SLE5002.

Excavations, in 1962 and 1963, by B Davidson (for MPBW) on the defences of the castle threatened by road improvements, revealed a large quarry-ditch 50 ft wide, partly filled by debris from the motte. The visible defences of the bailey represent a later reorganisation to include the remains of the slighted motte. A pile of stones on the summit of the motte had been thrown up around an earlier standing building, which was preserved to a height of 16ft.

<20> Field Investigators Comments, F D C Colquhoun/23-FEB-1972 (Website). SLE3488.

The motte and a portion of the terraced bailey to the Southeast now remain in fair condition; extensive road construction to the northeast of the motte has erased all evidence of the former outer works - supposed former fishponds. Survey 25" March 1971 correct (Plan not yet re-published).

<21> 1978-9, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 54, Vol 54 (1978-9), p74 (Journal). SLE5932.

The excavations carried out by B K Davidson in 1962 did in fact show that the motte was built around a pre-existing stone structure which was described as a stone tower.

<22> RCHME: National Forest Project, David MacLeod/02-AUG-1993 (Archive). SLE7281.

This site was mapped from air photographs as part of RCHME's National Forest Project. It was seen as the following:-
Earthwork motte of Medieval date, seen as one large (15-50m) round positive feature.Centred at:-SK 5239 0764 Mapped from AP's. (Morph No. FR.239.1.1)
Earthwork bailey of Medieval date, seen as a single linear feature defined by 2 ditches, 1 bank, max. length 120m. Centred at:-SK 5242 0766 Mapped from AP's. (Morph No. FR.239.1.2)

<23> Scheduled Monument List/Amendment, English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 03-JUL-1992 (Scheduling record). SLE7368.

SK 5239 0761. Motte and bailey castle and manorial complex at Groby. The oval castle motte is 5-6m high with flattish top and measures 38m east-west and 25m north-south. To the east is a flat bailey area extending for 20m and enclosed by a ditch surviving for a length of 35m and 15m wide and 2m deep. On its outer east side it has a slight bank 1m high. The exact nature and function of the early building found in the motte during excavations is not fully understood. The castle was built by Hugh de Grantmesnil in the late 11th century. It was besieged and eventually destroyed in 1176. For subsequent re-use of the site as a medieval manorial complex (see SK 50 NW 88). Scheduled (RSM) No 17066.

<24> Cathcart King, DJ, 1982, Castellarium Anglicanum: an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Vol I: Anglesey to Montgomery, p253 (Bibliographic reference). SLE4995.

Listed by Cathcart King.

Sources

Associated Finds

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
• PLANT REMAINS (Early Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1067 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• SHERD (Early Medieval - 1067 AD? to 1349 AD?)
• VERTEBRATE REMAINS (Early Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1067 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• SHERD (Early Medieval to Early Post-medieval - 1101 AD to 1699 AD?)
• SHERD (Early Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1101 AD? to 1899 AD?)

Designations

• Conservation Area: Groby
• Scheduled Monument 1010193: MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE AND MANORIAL COMPLEX AT GROBY

Associated Images

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