Scheduled MonumentsEnglandMotte called Castle Roborough

Motte called Castle Roborough

England
List entry 1002543
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002543
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.16 hectares
Grid reference
SS 62033 37736
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Castle Roborough is a motte-and-bailey castle situated in Devon, England, representing the Norman period of fortification typical of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The site consists of a substantial earthen mound, characteristic of motte-and-bailey design, which would originally have supported a timber or stone superstructure serving as a defensive stronghold. The castle's position and construction methods reflect the strategic settlement patterns established by Norman lords following the Conquest, though the site is now preserved in earthwork form only. Like many such fortifications, Castle Roborough likely served both military and administrative functions for its local territorial holder during the medieval period.

Motte called Castle Roborough is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002543. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Motte called Castle Roborough?

Castle Roborough is a motte-and-bailey castle situated in Devon, England, representing the Norman period of fortification typical of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002543.

Who is responsible for protecting Motte called Castle Roborough?

Motte called Castle Roborough 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 1002543.

What other scheduled monuments are near Motte called Castle Roborough?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hillfort, Cunnilear or Coneybeare Wood (1.2 km), Camp in Smay's Wood (2.1 km), Camp S of Birch Ham Wood (3.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Motte called Castle Roborough

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Motte called Castle Roborough'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Motte called Castle Roborough

Motte called Castle Roborough stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.