WEST DEAN MOTTE

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DESCRIPTION

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The poorly preserved remains of a motte are situated on the wooded crest of a ridge 60 metres east of the site of the old parish church of St Mary. A circular mound measures 53 metres in diameter and rises a maximum of 2.9 metres above the bottom of a shallow ditch which surrounds it. Short stretches of this ditch on the north and south south west have been filled with debris but elsewhere it measures 12 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep. The top of the mound was deliberately levelled in the 18th century for use as a bowling green, which was approached from the south west via a causeway which measures circa 3 metres wide.

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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(SU25682747) Castle Mound (NR). (1)

The ruins of a motte and bailey covering half an acre. (2)

A church is mentioned as having been sited within the bailey, possible remains of which are said to be west of the mound. (3)

Norman pottery has been found here. (4)

Castle Mound: resurveyed at 1:2500. (5)

The earthwork was surveyed by staff from RCHME Salisbury as part of a project focussing on the earthworks of South Wiltshire. The following is taken from the archive report:

The poorly preserved remains of a motte are situated on the wooded crest of a gentle ridge 60m E of the site of the old parish church of St Mary. A circular mound measures 53m in diameter and rises a maximum of 2.9m above the bottom of a shallow ditch which surrounds it. Short stretches of this ditch on the N and SSW have been filled with debris but elsewhere it measures 12m wide and 0.8m deep. The top of the mound was deliberately levelled in the C18 for use as a bowling green, which was approached from the SW via a causeway which measures c3m wide. (6)

Listed by Cathcart King. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) edited by R B Pugh and Elizabeth Crittall 1957 A history of Wiltshire: volume 1, part 1

The Victoria history of the counties of England 1957 Page(s)270

( 3) General reference

Field Archaeology 1915 40 (J P Williams-Freeman)

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GCS 23-JUN-54

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F2 ASP 15-APR-65

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

RCHME Field Investigation 20-MAR-1992 (CR Lewis)

( 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)501

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