Summary

Motte castle known as The Mount 230m west of Church Hill Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 20 May 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records. As such they do not yet have the full descriptions of their modernised counterparts available. Please contact us if you would like further information.

This monument includes a motte castle with a ditch and causeway known as The Mount situated on the south side of Church Hill overlooking the Arrow Valley. The monument survives as a motte mound with a surrounding quarry ditch and a causeway to the north. The motte covers a rectangular area approximately 76m by 106m with a flat platform on the top. The quarry ditch is rectangular in plan and surrounds the motte. It is up to 6m deep with a narrow entrance in the south west corner. The causeway is situated on the northern side of the monument.

The motte castle, owned by a local family called the Beauchamp’s was in use during the 13th century and abandoned during the 14th century.

Further archaeological remains survive within the vicinity of the monument, but are not currently protected because they have not been formally assessed. The monument is included within the Beoley Conservation area.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Motte castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans. They comprised a large conical mound of earth or rubble, the motte, surmounted by a palisade and a stone or timber tower. In a majority of examples an embanked enclosure containing additional buildings, the bailey, adjoined the motte. Motte castles and motte-and-bailey castles acted as garrison forts during offensive military operations, as strongholds, and, in many cases, as aristocratic residences and as centres of local or royal administration. Over 600 motte castles and motte-and-bailey castles are recorded nationally, with examples known from most regions. Some 100-150 examples do not have baileys and are classified as motte castles. As one of a restricted range of recognised early post-Conquest monuments, they are particularly important for the study of Norman Britain and the development of the feudal system. Although many were occupied for only a short period of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle. Despite large scale clay extraction from the ditch, the motte castle known as The Mount survives comparatively well. The motte will contain important archaeological layers and features. The motte quarry ditch and the causeway will contain buried layers and deposits containing important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction and use.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Page, W, Willis-Bund, J W (editors), The Victoria History of the County of Worcester: Volume IV, (1924), 12-19
Other
Pastscape Monument No:- 328657

Source: Historic England