MONUMENT NO. 67427

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DESCRIPTION

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Motte and bailey castle, identified through excavation in 1927 and 1956-7. The castle was built circa 1100 by Roger de Poitou and repaired between 1197 and 1202. It was abandoned by 1297 and levelled in 1817. A 14th or 15th century house, built over the infilled ditch was also identified. A possible early mill site was identified during the excavations. Only faint earthwork traces now survive of this castle. Scheduled.

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(SJ 39709348) Castle (NR) (Site of) (1)

Only faint traces remain of the once important little castle. A circular depression marks the site of the moat around the castle mount. To the SW a contiguous elevated area is the interior of the bailey, which is encircled by a depression some 2 to 3 feet deep which is the course of the fosse. Circa 1817 the Lord of the Manor Mr Gascoigne, had the castle mount and bailey levelled by filling in the fosses; but their positions are still discernible. The Castle fell into disuse about the middle of the 13th century and never attained walls of masonry, and was probably only in use for some 180 to 190 years. (2)

The castle site is now under cultivation as allotment gardens, but the slopes shown on the OS 6" are still visible as a slight dip in the surface. The road which partly surrounds the site is named as Castlesite Road. (3)

SJ 397934 (5): The Castle site was excavated by Professor J P Droop in July-August 1927. Trenches were dug across the dividing ditch between the motte and bailey and across the bailey ditch. The first trench revealed that the dividing ditch was in fact two 'V' shaped ditches with a central 'island'. The other ditch showed that the banks on the sides of the bailey ditch had been artificially raised. Also a 3m 'square' oak beam framework was uncovered at the bottom of the ditch. S E Rigold in discussing the excavation identifies the oakbeam structure as a short bridge at the entrance across the bailey. (4-5)

Excavations on the site of West Derby motte and bailey revealed a substantial shallow negative feature running E-W, at least 26m long and 8m wide, this may have been associated with the motte ditch or an early mill site. In the 14th or 15th century a house with hearth and partition, remodelled with a stone fireplace or ?chimney, was built over the infilled ditch. (6)

West Derby motte and bailey castle. Built c1100 AD by Roger de Poitou and subjected to repairs in 1197 and 1202. Between 1199 and 1216 it was known to have been defended by 140 footman and 10 knights and crossbowmen. Between 1218 and 1227 considerable expenditure was incurred by repairs to the drawbridge and garrison quarters in the bailey. The castle was abandoned by 1297 and levelled in 1817.
Scheduled. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" Prov Edn 1925-38

( 2) 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 1908 Page(s)543-45

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 JHO 23-AUG-51

( 4) The Antiquaries journal : journal of the Society of Antiquaries of London

8 - 1928 Page(s)240

( 5a) General reference

Univ Liverpool Annals of Arch and Anthropology XV 1928 47-55

( 5) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

(S E Rigold) 19 - 1975 Page(s)64-5

(6) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

(Gainster et al) 34 - 1990 Page(s)202

(7) General reference

English Heritage SAM Amendment 16-Mar-1992

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