More information : (SJ 4410 2623) Castle Mound (GT). (1)
"... has the appearance of small Norman motte, probably with it's bailey extending to the Church". (2)
This mound bears no resemblance to a barrow and very little to a motte. It is situated on the upper edge of land which falls to the east but it is not in a dominating position. There is no trace of a ditch, or of a bailey. Its proximity to the Church is probably fortuitous for I could find no record of the church existing prior to 1320. No historical information concerning a former stronghold was obtained by literary research.
The mound has a minimum height of 1.4m and its flat and level top has a diameter of 10.0m. It is 24.0m in diameter at the base. From the top of the mound there is a good all-round view which suggests a belvedere or gazebo. (3)
This mound, which is 1.8m high on the NW and 3.0m high on its SE side, is unlikely to have been the site of a gazebo. If it were contemporary or later than the icehouse it seems very unlikely that it would have been described as a tumulus at the first survey. There is evidence that trees were planted on the mound and this would be sufficient reason for not constructing an icehouse in it. There is no evidence to associate the mound with the moat except that, if a motte, it demonstrates a typical pattern of movement of the dwelling place from motte to motte and later to the present site of Petton Park.
There are slight indications that a ditch may have existed on the NW side but there is no trace of a bailey.
Mr Pickering (4a) stated that a dagger had been found on the mound and had been given to Shrewsbury Museum but the museum (4b) had no knowledge of any find made here. Published survey (25") revised. (4) SJ 441262. Mound in Petton Park. Scheduled. (5) (6) |