| Summary : The earthwork and buried remains of Kinghurst Castle, a motte and bailey castle and later medieval moated hall, which was constructed within the bailey of the castle, located on a natural eminence above the flood plain of the River Cole. The form of the motte suggests that it was constructed during the Norman period. The estate belonged to the De Monteford family during the Middle Ages, and the unusual form of the earthworks has led to suggestions that the castle may have been remodelled at a later date to form a fashionable domestic residence. Kinghurst Hall, a late Tudor to William and Mary brick built hall, was the last building to have survived on the moated island, until its demolition in the 1960s. Archaeological excavations in 1961 demonstrate that the motte was of two main periods. The first motte was a low ditched mound, which was later heightened and provided with an inner palisade, with large post holes suggesting a possible tower. This was dated by pottery finds to the 13th century. The motte measures 3-4 metres high and 10 metres in diameter across the summit and 20-25 metres in diameter across its base. It is surrounded by a ditch 10-15 metres wide and up to 1.5 metres deep. To the north east of the motte are the remains of the much modified bailey which was later converted to a moated residence. The interior revetted wall of the bailey was dated by excavation to the 14th century with later brickwork additions. The bailey measures 25 metres square and is surrounded by a moat up to 10 metres wide and 1.6 metres deep. The interior face of the moat is revetted with large red sandstone blocks at the base with Tudor brick work in the upper courses. Following the demolition of Kingshurst Hall in 1961, the area was landscaped.. |
More information : [SP 1667 8800] Kinghurst Hall Farm [T.I.] Moat [G.T.] (1)
The Hall, a William and Mary house shortly to be demolished was the property of the de Montfort family in Medieval times. It is surrounded by a moat with enclosing brick wall on stone footings. To the north-east [sic. should be S.W.] is a large moated mound, the moat of which intersects that of the house.
In 1961 F.C.Johnson sectioned the mound and the moat of the house. The mound was of two periods. The first consisted of a low work with slight ditch and no structure. In the second the mound was greatly heightened with a wide ditch and apparent inner palisade. Traces of large post holes perhaps denoted a tower. Pottery suggests a date in the latter half of the 13th C. The enclosing stone wall of the house was dated probable 14th C. (2)
The earthworks clearly comprise a motte with a much modified bailey. The Hall and farm buildings have been demolished and the surrounding area developed as a housing estate. A block of flats encroaches on the north side of the motte ditch.
Published survey (1/1250, 1962) revised. (3)
A motte and bailey which have been superfically remodelled and put to use as a children's playground. The motte has a base diameter of 25.0 to 30.0m, a height of 2.0m above outside ground level, and a summit diameter of 10.0m. It is surrounded by a ditch, 10.0 to 15.0m in width, 1.4m in depth. The bailey to the north-east is some 25.0m square, the level summit being 1.0m above outside ground level. The ditch surrounding the bailey is 10.0m in width, 1.6m in depth. The north-east side of the bailey is revetted with red sandstone blocks, heightened with 'Tudor' brick. A single-arched bridge of thin brick crosses the north-east arm, midway.
Published 1:1250 survey, 1964/1970, correct. (4)
Additional reference. (5)
An earthwork survey at a scale of 1:500 was carried out in Oct 1997. The earthworks, which cover an area of 0.36 hectares, are set within a residential housing estate. The motte is a relatively steep-sided sub-circular feature measuring up to 32m diameter at the base and diminishing to 9m at the top; it stands to a height of 3m above the ditch. Surrounding the mound is a ditch which is up to 2m wide and uniformly 1m deep. On the north-east side of the mound is a flat trapezoidal platform surrounded by a ditch. The platform measures 25x27m and stands 1.5m above the surrounding ditch. The platform is revetted by a brick wall on the north-east and north-west sides. In the eastern corner the wall has stone footings. The ditch measures 3m wide and a slight berm, measuring up to 1m wide, separates the wall and ditch. On the south-western side the construction of residential flats has masked the form of the ditch. (6) |