ROCHDALE CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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The motte and bailey, built in the early post-Conquest period, stood on what is now Castle Hill. The mound, 100 feet across at the base and flat-topped, stood at the apex of a triangular platform. The bailey to the South was an irregular square, approximately 120 feet from North-South by 100 feet East to West. It was surrounded by an earth rampart and ditch with a second ditch added to the South and South-East. The castle was abandoned in the early 13th century.

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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(SD 89121286) Site of Rochdale Castle (NR) (1)
Castle Hill (NAT) (2)

Rochdale Castle (motte & bailey) is situated about 1/4 mile to the south-west of old Rochdale Parish Church, upon the top of a natural feature called 'Castle Hill'. The earthworks are considerably mutilated by modern development, but Fishwick's plan (see illustration) depicts them as they were in 1823. The mound, now demolished, stood at the north end of the hill, at the apex of a triangular platform, and was flat topped, with a basal diameter of about 100ft. The bailey, to the south, was an irregular square measuring 120ft east to west, and 100ft north to south. An earthen rampart which formerly surrounded it is still intact on the east, west and part of the south sides, together with traces of an outer ditch. There was originally a second ditch at the foot of the hill to the south and south-east.

The Castle was an important fortalice in early Norman, perhaps even in pre-Conquest days. It was abandoned certainly as early as the first years of the 13th century. (3)

(SD 89121286) Castle Hill on site of (NAT) Rochdale Castle (NR) (4)

No remains, now completely built over. (5)

Listed by Cathcart King. (6)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1851

( 2) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" Prov Edn

( 3a) Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society

1901 (H Fishwick) 19 Page(s)46-7

( 3) edited by William Farrer and J Brownbill, M.A. 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Lancaster, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)538

( 4) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:1250 1973

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 BHP 29-SEP-76

(6) 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- 1983 Page(s)247

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