More information : A small mound known as The Castle, shown on OS 6" at SO669841, may be the site of Baskerville Hall (Mentioned in 1284 (a) ). There are building stones around the site and a long gutter penetrate the mound from the north. (1-2)
An irregularly-shaped mound 56.0m north-east to south-west and 34.0m transversely, at SO 66928402 is surrounded by a dry sub-rectangular ditch which has an average depth of 1.2m. The mound rises up to 1.9m above the ditch. The south-west side of the mound is fairly level but the north-east half has been partly removed. There is no evidence of building foundations in the interior, and the site is not remarked upon locally.
Published survey 25" revised. (3)
On air photographs the site appear as a well defined, irregular mound, surrounded by a wide shallow ditch, which also surrounds a second raised area to the south-east, and this may be the bailey. (4)
SO 66928402: A Medieval moated site, generally as described by Auth 3, situated on the north bank of a stream, with the deserted hamlet of Pickthorn (SO 68 SE 9) lying on slightly higher ground 200.0m to the north. Trenches 5.0m in width have been dug into the centre of the mound from the north and south, and dumping has partly filled the moat on the south side. Much of the island is obscured by long grass and undergrowth, but the surface is noticeably stony at the centre. Water was probably supplied by drainage from the north and possibly from the stream at the east angle. A roughly rectangular depression here, superficially resembling a fishpond, is probably more recent digging. Traces of a bank 0.4m in height (noted by Burrow (4) as a possible bailey along the south-east side suggest the retention of water along this, the lower side, with a well marked channel leading from the south corner to the stream, probably an overflow. No proper name is now applied to the site (a) and the name 'The Castle' is not known to the farmer.
Published survey (1/2500) revised on MSD. (5)
Listed by Cathcart King. (6)
The moat has been assessed for scheduling, but rejected. As described above, and approximately 50m by 30m. The whole site has been affected severely by agricultural practices, most notably the partial excavation of the island during drainage works. A range of artefacts has been found during the most recent works. Normal planning controls should apply. (7) |