Miserden Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; La Musardere

In the civil parish of Miserden. In the historic county of Gloucestershire (Modern Authority of Gloucestershire, 1974 county of Gloucestershire).

Motte and Bailey Castle. A massive partly rock cut ditch 6.1m deep and 10m wide cuts north to south across the neck of the spur, completely separating it from the mainland. Further to the east a second slighter ditch 1.7m deep and 13m wide cuts similarly north to south. These two ditches isolate the high central part of the spur, to create a mound 10m high with a top 40m north west to south east by 34m transversely. There are outworks and the remains of a curtain wall. The castle is first mentioned in 1146. Abandoned by 1289.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.

The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.

Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO94400925

PastScape Defra ELS number; 117125

Books

Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Gloucestershire and Bristol (Malvern) p23
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p80
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p182
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p262
Herbert, N.M. (ed), 1976, VCH Gloucestershire Vol11 p50 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=19034
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p245
Verey, D., 1970, Buildings of England Gloucestershire Vol1 p323

Journal Articles

Smith, Nicola, 1998, 'Manless Town, Brimpsfield: An Archaeological Survey' Glevensis Vol31 p54
Walker, D., 1991, 'Gloucestershire Castles' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol109 p15 http://www.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v109/bg109005.pdf
Rawes, B., 1977, 'A Check List of Castles and other Fortified Sites of Medieval Date in Gloucestershire' Glevensis Vol11 p39-41
Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
Baddeley, 1918, Cotteswold Naturalists Field Club Vol20 p45-

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Miserden Castle

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO94400925

Sources of information, references and further reading