More information : [SK 50955187] Castle Hill [T.I.]. (1)
Castle [GT] (Site of). (2)
Castle Wood [T.I] [Wood only shown]. (3)
Annesley - In Annesley Park is a simple form of motte and bailey, largely depending on the natural hill for its defence. The bailey is on the north of the mound and irregularly approaches it on the NW due to the natural escarpment. A fragment of the ditch remains at the bailey's NE corner and a transverse bank, 120 ft. long, extends across the middle of the bailey on the west side. (4)
Reginald de Annesley in 1220 "made an House in the Forest of Shirewood at Aneslegh so strong... that it was thought it might chance to bring damage to the neighbouring parts".
This, in all probability was the `Old Castle of Annesley' on the bounds of the Forest in the perambulation, temp Charles II. Its site is marked by Castle Hill and a grass-covered low bank may be the remains of a wall. (5)
`...and then along the high road as far as beneath the Old Castle of Annesley... extract from perambulation of AD 1300. (6)
Now over-planted with conifers. (7)
A motte and bailey now covered by a plantation of firs. The earthworks have been placed on relatively flat ground but on the edge of a deep valley extending to the east and south. The defences, comprise a large, flat-topped motte with a bailey to the north. A fragment of bank and ditch across the bailey may indicate that it was divided into two courts of baileys. The motte averages 42 m. in diameter and 2 m. in height. On the east and SE the natural slope drops steeply away; there is the slight unsurveyable depression of a ditch on the north. The defences of the bailey appear to have consisted of a bank with outer ditch but these are only extant at the north-east corner. Elsewhere the bank followed the crest of the slope and now appears as a step-like scarping of that slope. Where it is best preserved the bank averages 7 m. wide and 0.8 m, with a ditch of equivalent dimensions. The transvere bank is visible for a length of c.40 m. and averages 8m wide and 2 m. high. There are traces of a ditch on the north side. No evidence of the junction of the west end with the bailey's bank is visible due to an overlying path and no evidence of a continuation to the east was seen. No traces of stone or other structures were seen.
A 25" survey has been made. (8)
This earthwork survives as described in 1959 by F1 above.
Resurveyed at 1:2500 from modern detail. (9)
Castle Hill. Listed under Castle and Fortifications. (10)
Additional reference. (11)
Listed by Cathcart King. (12) |