Scheduled MonumentsEnglandMotte castle known as Bossiney Castle

Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle

England
List entry 1006708
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1006708
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.32 hectares
Grid reference
SX 06572 88762
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Bossiney Castle is a motte-and-bailey earthwork located near Tintagel in north Cornwall, dating to the Norman period following the Conquest of 1066. The monument consists of a substantial mound with associated ditching and baileys, representative of the early defensive architecture employed by Norman landholders to establish control over newly conquered territories. The castle appears to have been constructed in the early twelfth century as part of the consolidation of Norman power in Cornwall, though the site saw relatively limited structural development compared to later stone fortifications. Like many motte-and-bailey castles, Bossiney Castle was likely abandoned or superseded as a residence once more substantial masonry defences became the norm among the medieval nobility.

Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006708. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle?

Bossiney Castle is a motte-and-bailey earthwork located near Tintagel in north Cornwall, dating to the Norman period following the Conquest of 1066. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006708.

Who is responsible for protecting Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle?

Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle 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 1006708.

What other scheduled monuments are near Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Slight univallate hillfort with outworks containing a medieval chapel and beacon at Helsbury Castle (9.3 km), Small multivallate hillfort called Tregeare Rounds (9.3 km), Medieval churchyard cross in Michaelstow churchyard (10 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle'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 castle known as Bossiney Castle

Motte castle known as Bossiney Castle stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.