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Monument Types

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)

Summary

The castle was founded by the Earl of Leicester (mid C12th) and was ruined by the C16th. It was a motte and bailey castle. Various remains were recorded during the construction of the supermarket (59 Castle Street), which is on the site of the motte.

Additional Information

<1> Historic England, National Heritage List for England, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1010299 (Website). SLE7874.

Scheduled Monument description extract:
"Hinckley castle survives as a prominent earthwork and is one of three such monuments in south west Leicestershire. Although the motte is destroyed, the bailey has considerable potential for the survival of original internal buildings while the motte ditch will retain evidence of well-preserved organic remains.
Details
The castle is situated in the centre of the south west Leicestershire town of Hinckley, the bailey surviving as a semi-circular raised piece of ground. The northern part of the site was occupied by the motte, which has now been destroyed and is outside the area of the scheduling. The southern half of the bailey survives as a flat-topped raised area approximately 70m in diameter, rising about 10m above the surrounding land. An internal bank rises 3m above the top of the mound on the eastern side, decreasing to 2m on the south and 1m on the west. An external ditch is up to 18m wide, and water-filled on the eastern side. The castle was built by Hugh de Grantmesnil, Earl of Leicester, and is known to have been in existence by the middle of the 12th century. Historical records indicate that the castle was in decay by 1361 and that the motte was artificially lowered prior to 1811. During these works foundations of the bridge across the motte ditch were uncovered on the north side. Further building work on the north of the motte in 1976 revealed part of the ditch which was shown to contain well-preserved organic remains. The area was subsequently completely redeveloped and now houses a supermarket complex. Excluded from the scheduling are a war memorial, metalled paths, modern walls, a bridge over the ditch on the eastern side and a metalled surface covering the western ditch. The ground beneath all these features, however, is included."
Scheduled 29/05/1952, most recent amendment 04/06/1992.

<2> Page, William (ed), 1907, The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 1, p257 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1156.

VCHL speaks of the Castle as being built by Hugh de Grantmesnil and quotes Burton (1622) as saying that the Castle was 'now utterly ruinated and gone and only the mounts, rampires and trenches are to be seen'. A plan and description is published.
South and east of the mound to a height of 38 ft are all that remains. Ditch continues on the east and west sides but is destroyed on the north. An ornamental lake has been formed in the SE.

<3> 1977-8, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 53, Vol 53 (1978), p36 (Journal). SLE5951.

Cantor says the castle was founded by 'the Earl of Leicester' and was in existence by mid-C12th. In 1361 an extent describes 'a plot called the castle'.

<4> Leicestershire SMR Comment, PL (undated) (Unpublished document). SLE7870.

The site now consists of a large ditch with a substantial internal bank. Although described in early sources as the 'motte', cut away for road works this appears to be the castle bailey bank and ditch. The motte would have stood at the Castle Street end of the site where the Co-op Superstore now is.

<5> Nichols J, The History and Antiquities of Leicestershire, Vol 4 pt 2 (1811), p677 (Bibliographic reference). SLE7.

Nichols noted that the castle site had been a gardener's ground and that the castle hill was much lowered for road repairs until in 1770 Mr Hurst built a house on the site (at the Castle Street end). He found the foundation of a bridge across the ditch which surrounded the castle, several large building stones, a ball of 10" circumference and a 'piece or two of silver coin'.

<6> 1899-1902, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 9, Vol 9 (1899-1902), p17 (Journal). SLE5982.

In c.1898 during the demolition of a half-timbered house at the back of the Co-op (on the site) a semi-octagonal stone cap was found 1 foot deep.

<7> 1935, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 18, Vol 18 (1935), p187 (Journal). SLE5975.

Pickering notes that TH described in detail a well at the rear of the Co-op and close to the foot of Castle Hill. It was 2' below a cottage floor and was 4' in diameter and was lined with black but well preserved oak stakes. There was a cobble pavement surrounding it.
A bronze fibula in Leicester Museum is labelled "Site of Hinckley Castle" but no other information is available.

<8> 1976, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 51, Vol 51 (1976), p62 (Journal). SLE5969.

In 1976 the building of the Co-op Superstore allowed a watching brief. A ditch (presumably of the motte) was found in the S side and animal bones (including an ox skull) were recovered. DW drew the section.

<9> Leicestershire SMR Comment, PL (undated) (Unpublished document). SLE7870.

Leyland described the castle as 'ruinous' in c.1538. (OS records)

<10> Leicestershire SMR Comment, PL (undated) (Unpublished document). SLE7870.

A sherd of medieval (rim and handle) is described as from Castle Street but not necessarily from this site. (A105.1982)

<11> Leicestershire SMR Comment, RJP 23/07/01 (Unpublished document). SLE7870.

A watching brief was maintained in 1988 on the excavation of three boreholes sunk through the car park off Church Walk to test the depth of the archaeological stratigraphy by LAU. No occupation levels or finds were made.

<12> Ryder, Peter F, 2000, Hinckley Town Centre Conservation Area: Historic buildings appraisal, p17 (Unpublished document). SLE2967.

<13> Hartley R F, 2008, Medieval Earthworks of South-West Leicestershire (Hinckley & Bosworth), p27 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1014.

"The castle was founded by the Earls of Leicester and was probably in existence by the middle of the 12th century. By 1361 it seems to have been abandoned, and is referred to as "a plot called the castle" (TLAHS Vol 53, p34). Nichols records that "the antient site of the Castle had, beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitant, been occupied as a gardener's ground, and the Castle-hill considerably lowered by taking materials for repairing the roads; till, in 1770 Mr Hurst caused a handsome modern dwelling house to be built." (Nichols J, 1811, p677)… The Castle House was demolished in the 20th century, and the top of the mound adapted as War Memorial gardens. Part of the ditch encircling it has been dammed to form a duckpond."

<14> Finn, Neil, 2013, Archaeological attendance for inspection and recording during excavation of an electricity cable trench at Argent's Mead, Hinckley (Unpublished document). SLE4749.

A watching brief on a cable trench in 2013 recorded an infilled section of the medieval castle bailey ditch. This revealed modern material filling the upper 500mm of the ditch over earlier, undated fill. One possible medieval feature or soil layer was recorded and medieval pottery and tile were recovered from later deposits.

<15> Elkin, Kathleen (ed), 2015, Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire, p134, "Medieval fortified sites of Leics & Rutland", Richard Knox (Bibliographic reference). SLE5149.

"A motte and bailey castle, probably founded by Hugh de Grantesmesnil, Earl of Leicester (Page 1907, 257). It is mentioned in the c.1150 agreement between the early of Leicester and Chester and the impressive, but truncated earthworks of the bailey rampart survive. The motte itself was situated on the hill top, just south of Castle Street under the present Co-op shop. By 1361 the castle is described as 'a plot', suggesting it was long out of use (Cantor 1978, 36). It was completely ruinous by the early 16th century (Chandler 1993, 282) and the 18th century saw materials stripped off the motte for road mending until a house was built on it in 1770, the footings revealing foundations of a stone bridge over the motte ditch (Nichols 1811). A watching brief during the building of the Co-op in 1976 revealed the motte ditch again (Liddle 1976, 62)."

<16> Finn, Neil, 2018, An archaeological watching brief at Hinckley Castle, Argent's Mead, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Unpublished document). SLE6909.

A watching brief in 2017 on a cable trench exposed deposits probably representing backfill of the bailey ditch, and dumped material making up the embankment around the bailey.

<17> Hyam, Andrew, 2023, Archaeological attendance and recording (watching brief) at Hinckley Castle Ditch, Argents Mead, Hinckley, Leicestershire (Unpublished document). SLE7711.

In 2023 the pond in the south-east of the area was de-silted and a Nicospan liner was installed. 1m of silt was removed - it only contained modern material. A significant amount of work had previously place in early 1967 to clear out the ditch.

<18> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Medieval motte and bailey castle. The bailey still survives as an earthwork but the motte was destroyed by redevelopment in 1976. Castle in existence by mid-12th century, in decay by 1351 and ruinous circa 1538. The bailey survives as a flat topped circular area 70 metres in diameter rising about 10 metres above the surrounding land. An external ditch is up to 18 metres wide and part water-filled. An internal bank rises 3 metres above the mound on the eastern side, decreasing to 2 metres on the south, and 1 metre on the west. Scheduled."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=338131', accessioned 11/03/2025.

<19> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") and 10K historic mapping, 1959 (Map). SLE7243.

(SP 428938) Castle (NR) (Site of) (NAT)

<20> 1882-7, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 6, Vol 6 (1888), p330-1 (Journal). SLE6174.

Ruinous in Leland's time (c. 1538). In Burton's time (1622) described as "utterly ruinated and gone, and only the mounts, rampires, and trenches were to be seen, and the fair and large park was then disparked."

<21> Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Field Investigators Comments, J Baird/05-JUN-1972 (Website). SLE3488.

The remains of a Norman ring castle, well preserved but much landscaped.
Published survey 25" correct, now annotated.

<22> Scheduled Monument List/Amendment, English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 04-JUN-1992 (Scheduling record). SLE7368.

SP 4289 9387. Remains of the motte and bailey castle at Hinckley. The motte has been destroyed and is outside the main area of scheduling. The southern half of the bailey survives as a flat-topped circular area 70m in diameter rising about 10m above the surrouding land. An external ditch is up to 18m wide and part water-filled. An internal bank rises to 3.0m above the mound on the eastern side, decreasing to 2.0m on the south, and 1.0m on the west. The castle is known to have been in existence by the mid-12th century but is recorded as in decay by 1361 and the motte being artificially lowered prior to 1811. During these works the foundations of the bridge across the motte were uncovered. Further building work on the north side of the motte in 1976 revealed part of the ditch; the area was subsequently redeveloped and is now a supermarket complex.
Scheduled (RSM) No 17039.

<23> 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

• COIN (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Early Medieval - 1100 AD to 1300 AD)

Designations

• Scheduled Monument 1010299: REMAINS OF THE MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE AT HINCKLEY
• Conservation Area: Hinckley town centre

Associated Images

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