ECCLESWALL CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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Earthwork remains of a ringwork, extant in the reign of Henry II but allowed to fall into decay after 1342. The site has been much denuded and now nothing remains except a grass-grown moat and a low mount of earth. Some fragments of masonry built into the farm premises may have come from the castle. The earthwork remains of the site were mapped from aerial photographs.

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[SO 65272330] Eccleswall Court on site of ECCLESWALL CASTLE [LB].
CHAPEL [LB] (Remains of). (1)

Eccleswall Castle. The earthworks at Eccleswall Court have been much destroyed by cart tracks, farmyards etc. The flat-topped mound E of the modern buildings, has no scarp on the W side, but there are remains of a ditch on the south. To the E is a slight terrace and to the N is a large pond. About 170 yards below the site are a series of three ponds, now dry, formed by cross-banks. In the walls of the garden are some re-used stones, and above the entrance to the pigeon house is a label-stop carved as a man's head in a basinet. In poor condition. (2)

Eccleswall Castle. In the reign of Henry II Richard de Talbot obtained a grant of the lordship of Eccleswall and Linton, and he may have erected the castle, but no record exists, and now nothing remains except a grass-grown moat and a low mount of earth. Some fragments of masonry built into the farm premises which occupy the site may have belonged to the castle. (3)

Correctly described by authority 2, published earthworks (25") have been revised. Probable fish-ponds are now an ill-defined marshy area at SO 65652344. Remains of the chapel consist of a single tower, of indeterminate date, incorporated into outbuildings at SO 65252324. See photograph. (4)

Eccleswell Castle, visited by King John in 1216, was allowed to fall into ruin when its owners acquired Goodrich Castle in 1342. There was formerly a chapel in Eccleswell Castle, to which the last presentation was made in March 1541. (5)

The square, stone walled pigeon house at Eccleswell Court has three pointed lancet windows and was probably not built as a pigeon house; the walls are only 18" thick. (6)

SO 653234. The bank of the ringwork at Eccleswell Court has been destroyed. (7)

SO 652232. Eccleswall site identified as a small motte with remains of moat in listing of Herefordshire Castles. (8)

Additional reference. (9)

Listed by Shoesmith. (10)

The earthwork remains of the Medieval motte and Bailey known as Eccleswall Castle (described above) were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Gloucestershire NMP project. The features recorded included the D shaped mound of the motte centred at SO 6531 2329 with its flattened top, and a number of earthworks to the north-east of this. These other features included the possible remains of the moat to the east of the motte and a hollow way leading up from the south-east into the southern side of the motte. Beyond the moat are a number of linear earthworks and a large pond which may be garden feautures. Beyond the pond, the remains of three further elongated fishponds were seen extending from the SW - NE between SO 6550 2336 and SO 6567 2352 following the valley. These ponds were separated by dams. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1954

( 2) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, England 1932 An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Volume II: east

1932 Page(s)121

( 3) edited by William Page, F.S.A. 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Hereford, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England (I. Chalkley) 1908 Page(s)254

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 RWE 09-MAY-67

( 5) General reference

Hist of Hereford 2, 1812, 383-395 (J Duncumb)

( 6) Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club : transactions

(A Watkins) 1890-2 Page(s)16

( 7) edited by A J Taylor 1969 Chateau Gaillard, 3. Conference at Battle, Sussex, 19-24 September 1966

1969 Page(s)116

( 8) Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club : transactions

(J W Tonkin) 44 - 1982-4 Page(s)31

( 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)205

(10) by Ron Shoesmith 1996 A guide to castles and moated sites in Herefordshire

Monuments in the landscape1 (1994) - vol.2 Page(s)161

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/667 355-6 18-MAR-1966

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