The Gatehouse website record for Holt Pond Motte, Blendworth

In the civil parish of Rowlands Castle. In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Hampshire, 1974 county of Hampshire).

Small motte castle, thought to date from C11 or C12, located at Motley's Copse. The site comprises a roughly circular inner platform, standing up to 1.3m above the surrounding woodland, and encircled by a flat-topped earthen bank. The motte lies 200m south-west of a larger ringwork and bailey. Both fall within the boundaries of thr medieval royal hunting forest of Bere and form part of the Hundred of Finchdean, owned by Robert, Earl of Arundel. It is possible that the motte represents a small siege castle built against the ringwork and bailey by Henry I before he banished Robert of Arundel in 1101.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU72281205

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 242817
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 22758 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

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