Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Castle Toot
Hob Uid: 112719
Location : Shropshire Cleobury Mortimer
Grid Ref : SO6820076060
Summary : A Medieval motte castle surviving as an earthwork with buried foundations. Fragments of walling and the remains of the gatehouse were still visible in the 18th century and in 1911 stones forming the base of a causeway or bridge were observed. The buried foundations are near the surface. The castle was probably built by early members of the poweful Mortimer dynasty of marcher lords and demolished in 1150; however dating the castle is made difficult by the fact that the key medieval documents are often not clear whether they refer to this site or that at Castle Ditches.
More information : (SO 68207606) Ancient Earthwork. (1) Castle Toot. A semi circular earthwork above the River Rea,defended on the north-west side by the natural fall to the river,and elsewhere by a bank 17 feet high, a deep ditch, a 7-foot counterscarp and an outer bank two feet high. The entrance is at the north end. Listed by VCH under: "Hillforts less dependent on natural slopes for protection". (2) "Castle Toot, I take to have been the distinctly Norman Castle, built by the early Mortimers and which, having been demolished by Henry II, he allowed Hugh de Mortimer to rebuild". (3) The 'armchair' work on the hillside above the river may be the castle destroyed in 1155. (4-5) This feature is much as described by VCH. The central area appears as a flat-topped mound, and the whole looks more like a castle mound than a hillfort. A house, built in the mid-1950's, now stands in the middle of the site. At SO 68267617 the ground is much disturbed as though by building foundations, and this could be the site of the gatehouse. Published survey (25") revised. (6) SO 6819 7605. Castle Toot motte castle, 450m WSW of Mawleytown Farm. Scheduled (RSM). The original entrance appears to have been in the north-east quarter where a causeway crosses the ditch. Fragments of walling and the remains of a gatehouse were visible in this area at the end of the 18th century and in 1911 stones forming the base of a causeway or bridge were observed. None of the original stonework is now visible though slight surface irregularities suggest that buried foundations remain close to the surface. (7) Listed by Cathcart king. (8) Extant in 1154-5 and demolished in 1155. (9)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : OS 6" 1954
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : (J C Wall & E A Downman)
Page(s) : 371-3
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Vol(s) : 1908

Source Number : 9
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Source details :
Page(s) : 106
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Rev S F F Auchmuty 1911: "History of the Parish of Cleobury Mortimer 1911"; p5.
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Source Number : 4
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Page(s) : 144
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Vol(s) : 1968

Source Number : 4a
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Source details : William of Newburgh I 105
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Source Number : 4b
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Source details : Torigny 184-5
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : APs (RAF 541/188 4069-70 26.10.48)
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : F1 FKB 16-NOV-67
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : English Heritage SAM Amendment 31/JUL/1995
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Source Number : 8
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Source details :
Page(s) : 423
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Vol(s) : 2

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Possibly demolished 1155
Monument End Date : 1155
Monument Start Date : 1155
Monument Type : Motte, Gatehouse, Bridge, Causeway
Evidence : Earthwork, Documentary Evidence

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Shropshire)
External Cross Reference Number : 141
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (County No.)
External Cross Reference Number : Salop 141
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 19202
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SO 67 NE 8
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1967-11-16
End Date : 1967-11-16

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 2002-01-01
End Date : 2002-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2006-01-01
End Date : 2006-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : EVALUATION
Start Date : 2007-01-01
End Date : 2007-12-31

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2012-01-01
End Date : 2012-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Castle Toot