| Swerford Castle | |
|---|---|
| Swerford, Oxfordshire, England | |
 The remaining earthworks | |
  Swerford Castle | |
| Coordinates | 51°58′38″N1°27′35″W / 51.9771°N 1.4598°W Coordinates: 51°58′38″N1°27′35″W / 51.9771°N 1.4598°W |
| Grid reference | grid reference SP372311 |
| Type | Motte and bailey |
| Site information | |
| Condition | Earthworks remain |
Swerford Castle was a medieval castle in the village of Swerford, Oxfordshire, England.
Swerford Castle was built in a motte and bailey design in the 12th century. [1] It was positioned so as to overlook the local ford of the River Swere and the village of Swerford. [1] Archaeological remains suggest that the castle was probably constructed during the years of the Anarchy, probably by the same family that built Ascot d'Oilly Castle. [1]
The central motte is 18 m wide in diameter on top, and 30 m in diameter at the base, and 4 m tall; the wider bailey is approximately 52 m by 42 m, with a deep ditch. [1] The remains today are a scheduled monument. [1]
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to build with unskilled labour, but still militarily formidable, these castles were built across northern Europe from the 10th century onwards, spreading from Normandy and Anjou in France, into the Holy Roman Empire in the 11th century. The Normans introduced the design into England and Wales. Motte-and-bailey castles were adopted in Scotland, Ireland, the Low Countries and Denmark in the 12th and 13th centuries. Windsor Castle, in England, is an example of a motte-and-bailey castle. By the end of the 13th century, the design was largely superseded by alternative forms of fortification, but the earthworks remain a prominent feature in many countries.
Skipsea Castle was a Norman motte and bailey castle near the village of Skipsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Built around 1086 by Drogo de la Beuvrière, apparently on the remains of an Iron Age mound, it was designed to secure the newly conquered region, defend against any potential Danish invasion and control the trade route across the region leading to the North Sea. The motte and the bailey were separated by Skipsea Mere, an artificial lake that was linked to the sea during the medieval period via a navigable channel. The village of Skipsea grew up beside the castle church, and the fortified town of Skipsea Brough was built alongside the castle around 1160 to capitalise on the potential trade.
The remains of Aberedw Castle, also known as 'Castle in Elfael Uwch Mynydd', are located at the small village of Aberedw in the county of Powys, Mid-Wales. It was built in the late twelfth century and probably replaced the motte and bailey castle a few hundred metres away.
Watch Hill Castle is an early medieval motte-and-bailey on the border of Bowdon and Dunham Massey, England. It is a scheduled monument. As the only Scheduled Ancient Monument in Trafford, it is arguably the most important archaeological site in the borough. The castle is located north of the River Bollin and south of a deep ravine.
Pilsbury Castle was a Norman castle in Derbyshire near the present-day village of Pilsbury, overlooking the River Dove.
While there are many castles in South Yorkshire, the majority are manor houses and motte-and-bailey which were commonly found in England after the Norman Conquest.
Stowey Castle was a Norman motte-and-bailey castle, built in the 11th century, in the village of Nether Stowey on the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Swerford is a village and civil parish on the River Swere in the Cotswold Hills in Oxfordshire, England. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Chipping Norton. Swerford has two main neighbourhoods: Church End and East End. The area between them contains very few houses and is called Between Towns. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 132.
Castell Gwallter, also known as Walter's Castle and sometimes Castell Penweddig, is the remains of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle situated on a large hill above the old village of Llandre in northern Ceredigion, Wales, four miles northeast of Aberystwyth.
Wakefield Castle, Lowe Hill or Lawe Hill was a castle built in the 12th century on a hill on the north side of the River Calder near Wakefield, England. Its name derives from the Anglo Saxon hlaew meaning a mound or cairn, possibly a burial mound or barrow. The mound, situated a quarter mile from the river, was separated from the town by flat swampy land and was seen as a good site for a fortification.
Castle Tump was a castle in the village of Dymock in Gloucestershire, England.
Littledean Camp was originally a castle overlooking the village of Littledean in Gloucestershire, England, notable for its unique early Norman design.
Waytemore Castle is a ruined castle in the town of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.. The remains are a Grade I listed structure.
Denton Castle is a motte and bailey castle built in the village of Denton, Norfolk, England.
Lidgate Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle in the village of Lidgate, Suffolk, England, built to an unusual quadrangular design.
Cockroad Wood Castle was a castle near Wincanton but now in the parish of Charlton Musgrove, Somerset, England.
Ballands Castle was a castle near the village of Penselwood, Somerset, England.
Whorlton Castle is a ruined medieval castle situated near the abandoned village of Whorlton in North Yorkshire, England. It was established in the early 12th century as a Norman motte-and-bailey associated with the nearby settlement. The castle is an unusual example of a motte-and-bailey that remained in use throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period.
Middleton Mount, also called Middleton Motte and Middleton Castle, is the remains of a medieval castle situated in the village of Middleton, in Norfolk, England.
Allesley Castle is a former motte and bailey castle in Allesley, Coventry. The mound has never been excavated. All that remains of the castle is a large mound - the motte - and a defensive ditch approximately 45 metres (148 ft) in diameter. The ditch contains several concrete blocks which are thought to be bases for bridges over the motte. The site is a scheduled historical monument.