Eardisley Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Ardelea; Herdeslege; Erdisley; Erdsley

In the civil parish of Eardisley. In the historic county of Herefordshire (Modern Authority of Herefordshire, 1974 county of Hereford and Worcester).

Earthwork remains of a Medieval Motte and Bailey. The motte is about 33yds in diameter at the base, and rises some 14ft above the level of the bailey from which it is not now separated by any ditch. The Moat was partly filled in when field investigated in 1971. Mention in Domesday (1086) as Domus defensabilis. Hogg and King say that 'although survived well into C13 never rebuilt in stone' . However, Shoesmith reports some masonry was found on the motte and SMR reports had shell keep or round tower, curtain walling and other foundations.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO311491

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 106001
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1073; 25289 '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.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/eardisly.html
    http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/eardisley.htm
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/eardisley.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p476
    Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p27
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p95
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p205
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p226
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol3: north-west p.xxix, 52-3
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p136-7
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p101
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1867, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (Logaston Press, 2002 reprint) p44-8
• Journal Articles
  • Archaeological Research Section Woolhope NFC, 1999, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol70 p1
    Halliwell, P.R. (ed), 1992, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol57 p45
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q
    Sterling Brown, R., 1988, 'Preliminary Results of Castle Survey' Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol50 p41
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    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
    Warner, Rev R Hyett, 1904, 'Eardisley and its Castle' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p256-62, 287
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p240
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#herts8]
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Ward, B (2005) 'Eardisley Castle House' , HAS 685. Archaeological Investigations Ltd: Hereford http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit/details.cfm?id=2702