Scheduled Monuments›England›West Derby motte and bailey castle

West Derby motte and bailey castle

England
List entry 1009862
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1009862
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.61 hectares
Grid reference
SJ 39725 93463
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

West Derby motte and bailey is a Norman fortification located near Liverpool in Lancashire, England. The monument comprises a substantial motte surrounded by a bailey, representing the typical defensive arrangement of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The site was constructed following the Norman Conquest as part of the strategic colonisation of the North West, serving as a seat of local authority in what was then a frontier region. The earthworks remain substantially preserved, demonstrating the engineering methods employed in early medieval fortification before the advent of stone castle construction.

West Derby motte and bailey castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1009862. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is West Derby motte and bailey castle?

West Derby motte and bailey is a Norman fortification located near Liverpool in Lancashire, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1009862.

Who is responsible for protecting West Derby motte and bailey castle?

West Derby motte and bailey 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 1009862.

What other scheduled monuments are near West Derby motte and bailey castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Edge Hill Engine Station, Liverpool & Manchester Railway (4.6 km), The Calderstones: six monoliths decorated with rock art (5.9 km), Standing cross 30m south of the tower of the parochial chapel, in the old churchyard (6.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about West Derby motte and bailey castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of West Derby motte and bailey 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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Edge Hill Engine Station, Liverpool & Manchester Railway
4.6 km
The Calderstones: six monoliths decorated with rock art
5.9 km
Standing cross 30m south of the tower of the parochial chapel, in the old churchyard
6.8 km
Cross base 25m south of the tower of the parochial chapel, in the old churchyard
6.8 km
Robin Hood's Stone at the junction of Archerfield Road and Booker Avenue
7.1 km
Sefton Old Hall moated site and fishponds, Sefton.
8.6 km
Maghull Manor moated site
9.1 km
Cunscough Hall moated site, Melling
9.3 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under West Derby motte and bailey castle

West Derby motte and bailey castle stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around West Derby motte and bailey castle

Battle of Winwick (also known as Battle of Red Bank) 1648Battle (1648) · ~12.3 milesBattle of Rowton Heath 1645Battle (1645) · ~19.3 miles
Domesday entry for Derby, Cheshire →
All Scheduled Monuments