West Derby Castle

In the civil parish of Liverpool. In the historic county of Lancashire (Modern Authority of Liverpool, 1974 county of Merseyside).

Motte and bailey castle, identified through excavation in 1927 and 1956-7. The castle was built circa 1100 by Roger de Poitou and repaired between 1197 and 1202. It was abandoned by 1297 and levelled in 1817. C14 or C15 house, built over the infilled ditch was also identified. A possible early mill site was identified during the excavations. Only faint earthwork traces now survive of this castle. The Pipe Rolls of 1213 records a garrison in West Derby castle of 140 foot soldiers, 10 Knights and 10 Crossbow men. Recorded as ruined by 1326.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ39709348

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 67427
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular '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, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Lancashire and Cheshire (Malvern) p39
    Lewis, J., 2000, The medieval earthworks of the hundred of West Derby: tenurial evidence and physical structure (Oxford: John and Erice Hedges, BAR British series 310)
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p357
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p247-8
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p317
    Gibson, Leslie Irving, 1977, Lancashire Castles and Towers (Dalesman Books)
    Davey, P.J., 1977, West Derby Castle' in Davey, P.J. (ed), Medieval Pottery from Excavations in the North West (Institute of Extension Studies [Liverpool]) p68-9
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p853
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Gardner, 1908, in Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), VCH Lancaster Vol2 p543-45
    Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), 1907, VCH Lancaster Vol3 p13 - http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41281
    Fishwick, 1907, in Fishwick and Ditchfield (eds), Memorials of Old Lancashire Vol2 p17
• Journal Articles
  • Gainster et al, 1990, Medieval Archaeology Vol34 p202 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Rigold, S.E., 1975, 'Structural aspects of medieval timber bridges' Medieval Archaeology Vol19 p64-5 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    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
    1928, Antiquaries Journal Vol8 p240
    Droop, J.P. and Larkin, F.C., 1928, 'Excavations at West Derby Castle, Liverpool' University of Liverpool, Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology Vol15 p47-55, plates xv-xxiv
• 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] p283