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Motte Castle 57m south-west of Church of St Mary Magdalene

A Scheduled Monument in Hewelsfield and Brockweir, Gloucestershire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.7159 / 51°42'57"N

Longitude: -2.6284 / 2°37'42"W

OS Eastings: 356682.803948

OS Northings: 202090.654409

OS Grid: SO566020

Mapcode National: GBR JP.31K0

Mapcode Global: VH87G.D4BG

Entry Name: Motte Castle 57m south-west of Church of St Mary Magdalene

Scheduled Date: 3 April 2012

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1407096

County: Gloucestershire

Civil Parish: Hewelsfield and Brockweir

Traditional County: Gloucestershire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Gloucestershire

Church of England Parish: Hewelsfield St Mary Magdalene

Church of England Diocese: Gloucester

Summary

The earthwork and buried remains of a medieval motte castle, known as Hewelsfield Castle Tump.

Source: Historic England

Details

The castle stands on a north-facing slope, below the summit of the ridge. The flat-topped mound is oval in plan, measuring approximately 27m N-S x 24m W-E at its base, and some 14m across the top. In order to create a level building platform, in relation to the sloping ground on which its stands, the height of the motte increases from south-north where the natural slope appears to have been artificially enhanced. Some scattered stones, which appear to have been worked are on the platform, although it is not clear if these are later than the original phase of construction. Although no longer visible at ground level, a ditch, from which material was quarried during the construction of the motte, surrounds the mound. This has become infilled over the years but will survive as a buried feature, approximately 5m wide.

Traces of a possible ditched enclosure which may have been either an incomplete or denuded bailey can be seen on aerial photographs as cropmarks on the northern side of the motte. The entrance to the platform appears to have been from the south side. Some scattered stones which appear to have been worked, are present on the surface, although it is not clear if these are later than the original phase of construction.

Extent of Scheduling: the monument boundary includes the mound and its infilled ditch, which is some 5m wide, plus a 2m margin around the motte for its support and protection.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

The motte castle at Hewelsfield is designated for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: the earthwork remains, which include the motte, survive well and have been little altered.
* Potential: the expectation that evidence of the construction and use of the castle mound will survive below the earth's surface is partially borne out by the evidence of stonework on the surface of the mound.
* Group value: with the nearby C12 Church of St Mary Magdalene (Grade II*).

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Fiona Small and Cathy Stoertz, The Forest of Dean Mapping Project, Gloucestershire: A report for the National Mapping Programme, English Heritage, (2006)

Source: Historic England

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