Scheduled MonumentsEnglandTamworth Castle

Tamworth Castle

England
List entry 1002962
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1002962
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.11 hectares
Grid reference
SK2065303904
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Tamworth Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress situated in Tamworth, Staffordshire, established in the 11th century following the Norman Conquest. The castle comprises an artificial mound topped by a stone keep of 12th-century date, surrounded by a bailey with later medieval defensive works including stone curtain walls and towers. The site occupies a strategically important position overlooking the confluence of the Tame and Anker rivers, which formed natural defences. The castle remained a significant stronghold throughout the medieval period and was modified and expanded across several centuries, with later domestic additions reflecting its evolution from purely military fortress to a residence of the nobility.

Tamworth Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1002962. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Tamworth Castle?

Tamworth Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortress situated in Tamworth, Staffordshire, established in the 11th century following the Norman Conquest. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1002962.

Who is responsible for protecting Tamworth Castle?

Tamworth 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 1002962.

What other scheduled monuments are near Tamworth Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Medieval deanery, Lower Gungate (0.3 km), Saxon defences (0.5 km), Alvecote priory and dovecote (4.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Tamworth Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Tamworth 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 Tamworth Castle

Tamworth Castle stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.