Scheduled Monuments›England›Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow

Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow

England
List entry 1012588
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1012588
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.32 hectares
Grid reference
SE 52949 10409, SE 52977 10444, SE 53001 10396
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Cromwell's Batteries is a motte and bailey castle located at Skellow in Yorkshire, England. The site represents a form of military fortification characteristic of the Norman period following the conquest of 1066, comprising an artificial mound with an associated bailey or defended enclosure. The earthwork survives as a significant example of early medieval defensive architecture, though the site has undergone considerable changes over the centuries. Like many such fortifications in Yorkshire, it reflects the strategic importance of the region during the medieval period and the Norman consolidation of control over northern England.

Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1012588. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow?

Cromwell's Batteries is a motte and bailey castle located at Skellow in Yorkshire, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1012588.

Who is responsible for protecting Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow?

Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1012588.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Roman Ridge, Roman road, NW of Doncaster (4.3 km), Moat Hills moated site, Bentley (6 km), Medieval settlement 170m north east of Cusworth Hall (6.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Roman Ridge, Roman road, NW of Doncaster
4.3 km
Moat Hills moated site, Bentley
6 km
Medieval settlement 170m north east of Cusworth Hall
6.6 km
Medieval standing cross and early 20th century memorial cross
6.9 km
Cusworth Motte Castle
7.1 km
Site of St Helen's Chapel
7.9 km
Wall of Roman fort
8.1 km
King Hengist Rein long cairn
8.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow

Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow stands on Zechstein Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Permian. The rock here is dolomitised limestone and dolomite.

The wider landscape

Around Cromwell's Batteries motte and bailey castle, Skellow

Battle of Towton, 1461Battle (1461) · ~17.5 miles
Domesday entry for Skellow, Yorkshire →
All Scheduled Monuments