Ballands Castle

Ballands Castle
Penselwood, Somerset
Site information
Type	Motte and bailey
Condition	Earthworks remain
Location
Ballands Castle Shown within Somerset and the British Isles
Coordinates	51°04′40″N2°21′14″W / 51.0778°N 2.3540°W / 51.0778; -2.3540
Grid reference	grid reference ST753310

Ballands Castle was a castle near the village of Penselwood, Somerset, England.

History

Balland Castle was a motte and bailey castle, probably built after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, near the village of Penselwood in Somerset. ^[1] The castle sits close to the contemporary Norman castles of Cockroad Wood and Castle Orchard, and may have been built as part of a system of fortifications to control the surrounding area. ^[1]

The motte of the castle is now around 5 m high, and up to 9 m wide. ^[2] The bailey lies to the south, and both the motte and the bailey are surrounded by ditches. ^[3]

Today the castle site is a scheduled monument.

See also

• Castles in Great Britain and Ireland
• List of castles in England

Bibliography

• Creighton, Oliver Hamilton. (2005) Castles and Landscapes: Power, Community and Fortification in Medieval England. London: Equinox. ISBN   978-1-904768-67-8.

References

1. Creighton, p.62.
2. Balland's Castle, Penselwood , Somerset County Historic Environmental Record, accessed 18 July 2011.
3. Creighton, p.62; Balland's Castle, Penselwood , Somerset County Historic Environmental Record, accessed 18 July 2011.