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Richard's Castle is a motte and bailey fortress in Herefordshire, England, situated within an enclosed settlement that reflects the strategic planning of its establishment. The site dates to the Norman period, likely founded in the eleventh century following the Norman Conquest, when such fortifications served to consolidate control over the Welsh borderlands. The earthwork comprises a substantial mound topped by a bailey, a defended enclosure typical of early Norman military architecture, surrounded by the remains of a planned settlement that indicates the site's importance beyond purely military function. The castle's location and design demonstrate the integration of fortification with civilian habitation, a characteristic arrangement of frontier settlements established to secure Norman territorial claims in the volatile Herefordshire borderlands.
Richard's Castle: a motte and bailey with an enclosed settlement. is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1011020. View the official record →
Richard's Castle is a motte and bailey fortress in Herefordshire, England, situated within an enclosed settlement that reflects the strategic planning of its establishment. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1011020.
Richard's Castle: a motte and bailey with an enclosed settlement. 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 1011020.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dovecot at Court House (0.8 km), Aston Tump (2.8 km), Churchyard cross in St George's churchyard (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Richard's Castle: a motte and bailey with an enclosed settlement.'s history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Richard's Castle: a motte and bailey with an enclosed settlement. stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.