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MONUMENT NO. 67014

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DESCRIPTION

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Motte and bailey castle surviving as an earthwork. The motte averages 3.3 metres in height and was surrounded by a ditch with an average depth of 2.3 metres. The ditch has been obliterated in the north. The motte is flat topped, and bears no visible trace of building foundations. A well defined bailey is present. Landscape gardening has mutilated parts of the monument. Scheduled.

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[SJ 36146087] Site of CASTLE [G.T.] MOAT [GT] (1)

'The site of the ancient seat of the Boydells at Dodleston, is still marked by a fosse and strong earthworks, immediately west of the church...The keep tower defended by another fosse and a
circular mound, occupied the north east angle. Within the site was erected a later mansion... (the site is now part of the church glebe)... This hall....probably.... the headquarters of Sir Willian Brereton during the siege of Chester [1642] is taken down... The present house... (is occupied as a farmhouse)' . (2)

Further references. (3-7)

Dodleston Castle - Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. (8)

"It has been reported to the Chester and North Wales Archaeological and Historical Society that some remains of ancient earthworks have been removed from the grounds at 'Dodleston Vicarage... in order to improve the garden. (9)

A grass and tree covered motte and bailey that has been
considerably mutilated in the past, and is still being slightly
mutilated by gardening and by the infilling of refuse from the
churchyard.
The motte averages 3.3m in height and was surrounded by a ditch with an average depth of 2.3m. The ditch has been obliterated in the north. The motte is flat-topped, and bears no visible trace of building foundations.
The bailey consists of a strong ditch with an average width of 12.0m, an inner depth of 2.4m, and an outer depth of 1.6m. It is marshy in places, and a fragment of inner bank, with a maximum height of 0.5m. remains in the NW. The ditch of the bailey once encircled the ditch of the motte, but is now obliterated in the NW.
No trace was found of an entrance across the bailey ditch, or to the motte. No trace was found of the hall extant in 1642. A 25" survey has been made. (10)

Published survey (25" 1960) correct. (11)

Landscape gardening and the construction of a drive have resulted in further mutilation to the NW side of the bailey. Otherwise no change to the field report of 18 8 59.
Published survey (1:2500) revised on MSD.(12)

Listed by Cathcart King. (13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1913

( 2) General reference

'History of Cheshire' Vol 2 1882 p.847 plan (G. Ormerod)

( 3) General reference

'History of the County Palatine of Chester' 1823 pp.305-6 (J.H. Hanshall)

( 4) by Geo T Clark 1884 Medieval military architecture in England. Volume 2

Page(s)170

( 5) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

(G.T. Clark) 46 - 1889 Page(s)201

( 6) Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society

(W. Harrison) 25 - 1907 Page(s)151

( 7) Annotated Record Map

Corr 6" (G. Webster 1953)

( 8) General reference

Ancient monuments in England and Wales 1958 (MOW)

( 9) General reference

Report of the Earthworks Committee, Congress of Arch. Soc. 1912, p.8.

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F1 RWE 18-AUG-59

(11) Field Investigators Comments

F2 JR 10-JUL-64

(12) Field Investigators Comments

F3 DJC 11-NOV-75

(13) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

2 Page(s)67

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