Scheduled Monuments›England›'The Castles' motte and bailey

'The Castles' motte and bailey

England
List entry 1007749
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1007749
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
5.44 hectares
Grid reference
TA 06577 22571
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

The Castles motte and bailey is a Norman earthwork monument located in Lincolnshire, England. The site comprises the characteristic two-part defensive structure typical of early Norman fortifications, consisting of a raised mound or motte accompanied by an attached bailey or enclosed courtyard. Dating to the Norman period following the conquest of 1066, such fortifications served as administrative and military centres for the Norman settlers establishing control over the English landscape. The monument survives as an earthwork and represents an important example of the rapid fortification strategy employed by the Norman nobility during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

'The Castles' motte and bailey is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1007749. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is 'The Castles' motte and bailey?

The Castles motte and bailey is a Norman earthwork monument located in Lincolnshire, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1007749.

Who is responsible for protecting 'The Castles' motte and bailey?

'The Castles' motte and bailey 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 1007749.

What other scheduled monuments are near 'The Castles' motte and bailey?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite 220m east of West Marsh Cottage (1.1 km), Village Cross (1.6 km), Site of Saxon manor, Tyrwhitt Hall (3.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about 'The Castles' motte and bailey

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of 'The Castles' motte and bailey'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your 'The Castles' motte and bailey report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite 220m east of West Marsh Cottage
1.1 km
Village Cross
1.6 km
Site of Saxon manor, Tyrwhitt Hall
3.1 km
St Peter's Church
3.1 km
Long barrow, two Neolithic mortuary enclosures and adjacent round barrow to the west of Barton Lodge
3.9 km
Goxhill Hall moated site, associated drainage system, fishponds and field system
4.9 km
Tower mill and whiting works 100m south east of the Country Park Inn
5.2 km
Thornton Abbey Augustinian monastery: gatehouse, precinct, medieval road and bridge, moat, fishponds, post-Dissolution college and school, and house
6.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under 'The Castles' motte and bailey

'The Castles' motte and bailey stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

Domesday entry for Barrow, Lincolnshire →
All Scheduled Monuments