Scheduled Monuments›England›Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey

Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey

England
List entry 1013635
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1013635
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
2.71 hectares
Grid reference
SU 38459 30849
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Gains Castle is a 13th-century ringwork and bailey earthwork situated in Hampshire, England. The monument comprises a circular or oval defensive bank with an associated bailey, representing a common form of Norman and early medieval fortification in southern England. Dating to the 13th century, the site reflects the period's military architecture and settlement patterns, though documentary evidence regarding its specific historical narrative remains limited. The earthwork survives as a scheduled ancient monument, preserving an important example of medieval defensive engineering from Hampshire's archaeological heritage.

Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1013635. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey?

Gains Castle is a 13th-century ringwork and bailey earthwork situated in Hampshire, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1013635.

Who is responsible for protecting Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey?

Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey 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 1013635.

What other scheduled monuments are near Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ashley Wood camp (1.2 km), Bowl barrow on Ashley Down Plantation, 1010m south west of Forest of Bere Farm (1.9 km), Bowl barrow on Ashley Down Plantation, 1000m south west of Forest of Bere Farm (2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey'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.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Ashley Wood camp
1.2 km
Bowl barrow on Ashley Down Plantation, 1010m south west of Forest of Bere Farm
1.9 km
Bowl barrow on Ashley Down Plantation, 1000m south west of Forest of Bere Farm
2 km
Group of round barrows at Withering Corner
2 km
Bowl barrow in Parnholt Wood
2.3 km
Hilltop enclosure 190m north west of Farley Mount
2.4 km
Roman villa in Cow Down Copse
3.1 km
Bowl barrow 1km east of Farley Mount
3.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey

Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

The wider landscape

Around Gains Castle: a 13th century ringwork and bailey

WinchesterRoman town · ~6.1 milesOld SarumArchaeological site · ~15.5 milesStonehengeArchaeological site · ~17.7 milesBattle of Cheriton 1644Battle (1644) · ~13.2 milesFirst Battle of NewburyBattle (1643) · ~22 miles
Domesday entry for Somborne, Hampshire →
All Scheduled Monuments