ENGLISH BICKNOR CASTLE

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The earthwork remains of an 11th century motte and bailey castle, which was mentioned in documents dating from 1190 and 1217. The castle takes the form of a rough oval orientated north to south. It comprises an inner bailey and an outer bailey, which are each surrounded by a moat or ditch. A motte is situated within the inner bailey and measures 40 by 50 metres, stands 4m high, and has a flat top measuring 30 by 20 metres. A map of 1608 seems to show a concentric square keep surrounded by a circular moat on the site. On the ground the site is clearly a motte and bailey castle. St Mary's church (SO 51 NE 43) is situated in the outer earthen bailey. Uncontrolled excavations discovered a small building. Part of the earthwork motte and part of a possible moat have been recorded from aerial photographs, on which the motte and baileys are partially covered by trees. Scheduled.

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[SO 58101572] Site of CASTLE [G.T.]
[SO 58071574] CASTLE BAILEY WELL [G.T.]
[SO 58131570]
[SO 58101583] MOAT [G.T.]
[SO 58171589] (1)

A regular moated mound of the 8th or 9th cent. in the village of English Bicknor, consisting of a conical flat-topped mound, which was originally surrounded by a ditch, but this is now filled up, except on the western side, where it is of considerable depth. The motte stands on a horse-shoe shaped platform, also surrounded by a ditch which is connected with the ditch of the mound. Beyond this, extending to the north and east, is a second and larger platform, also defended by a deep ditch, which, as well as the former, unites with that of the inner platform and of the motte. The parish church stands on the outer platform. The whole forms an irregular circle of about 150 yds. in diameter.

It is evident that after the Norman Conquest the site was utilised for the erection of a small stone-built castle upon the mound. About 4 years ago, (circa 1876) certain excavations were made into the side of the mound for the purpose of filling the ditch to make a garden, a small room about 12 ft. square was discovered, constructed of Norman masonry. It was nearly all removed before the writer saw it, but he succeeded in preserving a small piece. At the time this walled castle was erected a further addition was made to the fortification by the formation of a quadrilateral enclosure on the north side by means of a deep ditch. This now forms the site of the parsonage, garden and grounds. The field on the west side is known as the 'Castle Bailey'.

Making a circuit of the entrenchment and beginning on the western side of the mound, the ditch is of considerable depth, and in it, at the foot of the mound, still remains the castle well. On this side, external to the ditch, is a continuous bank, but it was never defended by a moat. Around the mound the ditch would seem to have been obliterated by the debris of the castle: the second ditch, however, throughout its entire length, is very distinct. Passing the end of this by the school, the bank has been levelled down and the ditch filled. Within the recollection of persons now living, there was a wooden bridge passing over the ditch to the church and also a similar bridge crossing the ditch between the churchyard and the parsonage. Beyond the schoolhouse is a portion of a ditch still open and water filled, but its course farther followed the churchyard fence through the rectory grounds to the lich-gate on the east side of the churchyard but it has been filled in recent times. From the lich-gate the ditch has been destroyed and the site is occupied by a cottage, and for a part of the distance by the highway, but the bank inside the ditch may be traced bordering on the road, as far as the cottage now used as the Post Office. This portion was open and water filled until recently. From the back of the Post Office the ditch may be traced to the well. On the north side the ditch of the barbican branches off nearly at right angles, following the fence of the western side of the rectory garden. The late rector was repsonsible for filling up most of this ditch. At the NW corner of the gardens the ditch turns at nearly right angles towards the east, and this portion, 15 ft. wide, is always full of water. All trace of it is now lost. After extending a short distance eastward, it, doubtless, turned again southward, before the front of the parsonage, uniting with the old ditch near the lich-gate. (2)

The site is for the most part grass covered and the earthworks are in a fairly good state of preservation. The motte is of a squarish plan and is encompassed by a ditch (with traces of an inner bank). The ditch, which was probably a wet moat has been mutilated on the south and west sides by modern building.

CASTLE BAILEY WELL is in the ditch to the west of the motte. It consists of a square aperture formed by stone slabs through which protrudes the remains of an iron pump. The aperture is approximatley 0.5m. square and is overgrown with turf. It is at ground level and appears to be over a stone chamber whose size could not be determined except that it is approximately 3.0m. deep. A spring gives rise to a swift but underground flow of water. The aperture and its surrounding stone collar is unsafe and the wall has not been used for many years. No evidence of its antiquity was seen, but from its position it is more likely that the spring supplied water to the moat than the castle proper.

The 'MOAT' described on the O.S. 6" at SO 58171589 has been destroyed and its site is occupied by a modern cowshed. There are no traces of any of the castle masonry within the bailey or upon the motte. (3)

An 11th century motte and bailey, mentioned in 1190 and 1217. (4-5)

Motte & Bailey (NR). (6)

A map of 1608 (c) seems to show a large concentric square keep surrounded by a circular moat on the site of the castle south of the church. On the ground the site is clearly a motte and bailey castle with the church in an outer earthen bailey. The situation makes it unlikely that there were ever water-filled ditches. (7)

Scheduled listing. (8)

Listed by Cathcart King. (9)

The motte and bailey castle described above (1-9) is only partially visible on aerial photographs due to trees covering the area of both baileys. The castle baileys are centred on SO 5813 1576 and form a rough oval, orientated north to south. The motte is situated within the inner bailey, in the south-western quadrant of the oval. The inner bailey measures 54m wide and the scarp along the northern side is flanked by a moat measuring 5m wide.

The dark cropmark of a large ditch is situated in the corner of a field at SO 5808 1591. As source 2 states, the field names near to the castle incorporate a 'bailey' element and the ditch may represent the moat of a further outer bailey which possibly connected to a moat quoted by source 1 as situated at SO 5817 1589. (10-11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1924

( 2) Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society

"Earthworks in the parish of Bicknor" (by Sir John Maclean), plan 4, 1879-80 Page(s)303

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 NVQ 14-APR-58

( 4) Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society

53, 1931 Page(s)7

( 5a) General reference

Pipe Roll

( 5b) General reference

Patent Roll

( 5) D F Renn 1968 Norman Castles in Britain

Page(s)184

( 6) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10,000 1980

( 7c) General reference

Map of Forest of Dean 1608 PRO MR 879

( 7) Moated Sites Research Group report

(M Aston) 7, 1980 Page(s)4

( 8) Scheduled Monument Notification

24-SEP-1999

( 9) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

1 Page(s)181

(10) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/76156 028-9 11-JUL-1976

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF 106G/UK/1355 7198-9 02-APR-1946

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