CASTLE BYTHAM

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Medieval motte and bailey castle, believed to have been built in the 11th century. Surface traces of stone buildings are visible on the mound and in the bailey area. The Motte consists of a large mound measuring 100 metres by 80 metres with a flattened rectangular area in the centre. A small mound exactly opposite the entrance to the motte may be the site of a Keep. The suggested Keep and Motte are surrounded by a ditch. The bailey is approximately 155 metres by 80 metres, and is surrounded by a large ditch roughly 15 metres wide. There are additional defensive banks along the top of the bailey. There is also a rectangular embanked enclosure, within the bailey, which may have enclosed some buildings. Scheduled.

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[SK 991 185] Castle [G.T.] (Site of). (1)

Castle Bytham was once the powerful castle of the earls of Aumale, probably built in the 11th century, was besieged by Henry III in 1220 -21, and burnt during the Wars of the Roses. The walls were still standing in Leland's time. Scheduled. (2-6)

[See AO/LP/63/343 for air view]

The castle mound and bailey both show surface traces of stone buildings. Immediately east of the entrance to the castle mound is a detached mound, possibly representing the keep. To the south of the bailey is a fish stew and extending uphill to the SW is a strong bank of uncertain purpose.

The feature published as `Fish Pool' is a large dry, perfectly level, area bounded by scarped slopes. The published `Moat' is a natural stream skirting the hillock on which the castle was constructed.
Resurveyed at 1/2500. (7)

The motte (centred at SK 9907 1859) consists of a large mound (approximately 100m by 80m) with a flattened rectangular area in the centre (60m by 40m). There is a small mound (at SK 9912 1857) exactly opposite the entrance to the motte which is considered to be a keep by authority 7. Surrounding the suggested keep and the motte is a deep ditch and outer bank. To the south east is another bank which has breaks along its circuit and may form some kind of elaborate entranceway to the motte. The bailey is approximately 155m by 80m, centred at SK 9916 1857, and is surrounded by a large ditch roughly 15m wide. There are substantial banks along the top edge of the bailey at SK 9915 1862 and SK 9915 1849 which may be some extra defensive work. There is also a rectangular embanked enclosure, centred at SK 9916 1858, within the bailey, which may have enclosed some buildings.
(Morph Nos. LI.781.6.1 - 6.2)

The fish stew, bank and fish pool described by authority 7 may be related to the motte and bailey but they are described more fully in SK 91 NE 34.

This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (8)

A brief field examination revealed that the motte and bailey are as described by authority 8. The earthworks are presently under pasture.
(9)

Listed by Cathcart KIng. Taken and demolished in 1221 after which it seems to have been used as an unfortified dwelling. (10)

Castle recorded as extant between 1154 and 1189 in the possession of William le Gros, Count of Aumale. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

Ordnance Survey 6" map sheet 1959

( 2) General reference

Little Guide, Lincs 2nd Edn 1924 96 (J C Cox)

( 3) General reference

Wild, J, 1871. History of Castle Bytham (77)

( 4) Department of the Environment 1973 Ancient monuments in England : a list prepared by the Department of the Environment, corrected to 31st December 1971

Page(s)63

( 5) Aerial photograph

AP (CUC 0029 EU, udtd)

( 6) by Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris ; revised by Nicholas Antram 1989 Lincolnshire

The buildings of England Page(s)493

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

First OS Archaeology Field Investigation Officer FRH 22-MAR-65

(8) RCHME/EH Aerial Photographers Comment

Antonia Kershaw/20-DEC-1995/RCHME: Lincolnshire NMP

(9) RCHME/EH Aerial Photographers Comment

Antonia Kershaw/01-OCT-1996/RCHME: Lincolnshire NMP

(10) 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)260

(11) by R Allen Brown 1989 Castles, conquest and charters : collected papers

Page(s)104

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MONUMENT NO. 1033807
CASTLE BYTHAM

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Medieval or post-medieval fishponds and boundary bank seen as earthworks

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