Heydour Castle Hills

In the civil parish of Haydor. In the historic county of Lincolnshire (Modern Authority of Lincolnshire, 1974 county of Lincolnshire).

West of church are traces of the foundations of a large moated mansion or castle, supposed to have been built in the reign of Stephen by one of the Bussey Family, who were resident here until c1609. The site is a low circular motte with a bailey to south. Foundations are traceable both on the motte and outside the bailey. Two roads and ponds exist within ridge and furrow; other earthworks are amorphous. An irregular ring motte or inner enclosure, large enough to have contained main buildings, with bank highest in south-east corner and ditch. Traces of light outer bailey to south. During a watching brief from Haydor to Aisby, material from the collapsed outer earthworks of the castle was found on the south side of the site. However, in the absence of dateable material the association can only be tentative. A medieval ringwork and bailey situated on Castle Hills, occupied by a manor house in the later medieval period. In 1086, the land was held by Guy de Craon as part of his manor of Osbournby. By the beginning of the 13th century, the manor of Haydor was held by a tenant, Roger de Rudston, and in 1343 documentary sources record the presence of a manor house with outbuildings, a dovecote and a garden. By the 16th century, the manor of Haydor had descended to the Bussey family. Creasy noted in his History of Sleaford the former existence of 'an edifice of vast size. The foundations...are singularly traceable, and...the immense banks of earth...speak...of its ancient strength and glory'. (Lincolnshire HER)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TF00733970

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 348646
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 30083 '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.roffe.co.uk/earthworks/castles/heydour.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/130/heydour.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p51
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p148 [slight]
    Roffe, David, 1993, 'Castles' in Bennett, S. and Bennett, N. (eds), An Historical Atlas of Lincolnshire (University of Hull Press) p40-1
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p260
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1964, Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Harmondsworth) p572 [slight]
    Allen, T., 1934, History of the county of Lincolnshire Vol2 p290
    White, W., 1872, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire p563
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Trollope, E., 1863, Associated Architectural and Archaeological Societies Reports and Papers p32
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • English Heritage, 30/07/2001, Scheduling record: Castle Hills ringwork and bailey, Haydor. SAM 33128