OSWESTRY CASTLE

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

Medieval motte and bailey castle possibly extant in 1086 surviving as an earthwork mound although the bailey is completely destroyed. Stone castle built in 1148 by Madoc ap Meredyth and demolished between 1647 and 1673. Masses of masonry still survive. Scheduled.

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

Oswestry Castle was probably built in 1148 by Madoc ap Meredyth, but an earlier fortification probably existed here as it is mentioned in Domesday. The castle was demolished between 1647 and 1673. There was a chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas within the castle. (1-3)

The Castle Mount is oval in plan; it is 36 feet high, 96 feet from east to west and 63 feet from north to south. Parry-Jones (Authy 2) believed the mound to be natural rather than man-made. A few masses of masonry and concrete are all that remains of the castle, which is mentioned in Domesday as having been built by Rainald c.1086. There is no visible evidence of the bailey except in the names 'Bailey Street" and 'Baileyhead'.
Published earthworks (25") correct. (4)

All trace of the bailey has been obliterated by modern development. (5)

(SJ 29062981) Castle (6)

The only remains of the castle are a few fragments of the keep on top of the castle mound. The masonry is very rude but strong. The mound is artificial though it does stand on high ground. The moat, which surrounded the mound, is completely filled up. (7)

SJ 290298 Remains of Castle. Scheduled. (8-9)

Listed by Cathcart King. (10)

Scheduled, National Number 33815. (11)

The castle mound is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs and has been mapped by RCHME's Marches Uplands Mapping Project. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society

(R W Eyton) 10 - 1887 Page(s)20

( 2) Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society

(J Parry-Jones) 17 - 1894 Page(s)107-73

( 3) D F Renn 1968 Norman Castles in Britain

1968 Page(s)271

( 4) edited by William Page 1908 The Victoria history of Shropshire: volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England (Wall & Downman) 1908 Page(s)316,386

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 DS 23-JAN-67

(6) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10000 1980

(7) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

Page(s)350-1

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

Page(s)7

(9) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

Page(s)7

(10) 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 - 1983 Page(s)427

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

Schedule anendment 25-Aug-2000

(12) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR SJ 2929/1-4 (CPT 13939/581-4) 18-JUN-1986

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.

EH Prints
English Heritage
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
NMR
ViewFinder