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Swerford Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortification located in Oxfordshire, dating to the Norman period following the conquest of 1066. The site comprises an earthen mound surrounded by a ditch and bailey, representing a characteristic form of early medieval military architecture common throughout England in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The castle's modest scale suggests it served primarily as a local defensive stronghold and administrative centre rather than a major fortress. Little above-ground stonework survives, with the monument's significance lying in its archaeological potential and its illustration of Norman settlement patterns in the region.
Swerford Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1014748. View the official record →
Swerford Castle is a motte-and-bailey fortification located in Oxfordshire, dating to the Norman period following the conquest of 1066. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1014748.
Swerford 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 1014748.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Long barrow 250m south of Ellen's Lodge in Shilcott Wood on the Ditchley Park Estate (9 km), Taston standing stone 12m north of Taston village cross (9.2 km), Taston village cross (9.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Swerford Castle'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.
Swerford Castle stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.