MONUMENT NO. 114026

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DESCRIPTION

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The earthwork and buried remains of the medieval motte and bailey castle at Castle Green. The motte is 4-5 metres high and 13-15 metres in diameter around the top. It is surrounded by a ditch 1-2 metres wide and 1 metre deep, with a counterscarp bank. To the south of the motte are the remains of another flat-topped mound, rising 3-4 metres above ground level and measuring 40 metres in diameter. The mound is partly surrounded by a ditch containing a water course on the north and west and partly enclosed by a moat or ponds to the south and west sides. The area thus defined is believed to be the inner bailey of the complex. The monument is first identified in a document of 1346 although the form of the earthworks suggest an earlier, Norman origin. The castle may be identified with the manor of Castleleigh held by the Pembridge family from the Abbots of Pershore in the 13th century. Scheduled. The earthwork remains of the above described Medieval Motte and Bailey were seen as tree covered earthorks and mapped from aerial photographs.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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(SO78065198) Castle Mound (NR). (1)

A well preserved motte, 20 ft high, with its top 70 ft in diameter and its base 150 ft in diameter. South of it is another flat topped mound, about 9 ft high, probably a bailey. Both mounds are surrounded by ditches. South of the bailey are traces of other inclosures, now nearly obliterated by farm buildings. Although the earthworks suggest a Norman origin it is possible that this was the stronghold thrown up in the 13th century by Henry de Pembridge who forfeited his lands in 1265 after the Barons' War. (2)

(SO78065197) The motte is 50.0 m in diameter at its base and 5.0 m high surrounded by a ditch 3.1 m deep. There is scarping of the natural slope outside the ditch on all sides except the south and south east.
To the south of the motte is a raised area, with a ditch 2.4 m deep on the north-west side, probably representing a bailey. There is no trace of enclosures to the south of the bailey.
The site is very densely overgrown. Published survey (25") correct. (3)

SO 781520 Motte at Castle Green scheduled. (4)

The earthwork remains of the above described features attributed to a Motte and Bailey were seen as tree-covered earthworks, but details were masked by the trees. The outline of the motte could be seen at SO 7805 5196 and to the south-east a mound with traces of an outer ditch on its western side could be seen at SO 7807 5191.
All features were mapped from aerial photographs. (5-6)

Listed by Cathcart King. (7)

The motte (as described above) is large, though not high, with a shallow ditch and broad counterscarp bank. The outer edge of the counterscarp has been damaged by ploughing and there are active animal burrows in the mound. The water features immediately to the south survive, though whether they represent an 'inner bailey' is not clear. There is no visible trace of enclosures or other earthworks further to the south and east among the farm buildings, and a large, recently dug fishing pond to the east now occupies much of what was probably the bailey. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1955

( 2) edited by William Page and J W Willis-Bund 1924 The Victoria history of the county of Worcester: volume four

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)101, 426

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

13/08/1970

( 4) English Heritage 1987 County list of Scheduled Ancient Monuments : December 1987

Hereford and Worcester Page(s)14

( 5) Scheduled Monument Notification

23/02/1998

( 6) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF 541/104 4032-3 23-JUL-1948

( 7) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

2 Page(s)507

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

EH Malvern Hills Project/4-JAN-2002/M Bowden

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