Horsford Castle Hill

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle Yards

In the civil parish of Horsford. In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).

Motte and Bailey castle; decayed soon after 1431. Known as Castle Hill or Castle Yards. Circular ditched motte with circular bailey to south. Motte not appreciably higher than bailey bank now. Damaged by ploughing in recent years. Aerial photographs suggest a stone keep on motte (?C12) and perhaps barbican between motte and bailey. Some C14 antiquities found. Liddiard interprets the castle as the Malet's hunting ground - a country retreat on the periphery of their estates - or a castle raised for their tenant Waller of Caen. (Norfolk HER)
Apparently the suggestion on a square keep on the motte came from Pevsner but is not otherwise supported.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TG20541566

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 132896
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 8001 '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.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/134/horsfordcastle.htm
    http://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MNF8001
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/horsford.html
• Books
  • Cushion, B. and Davison, A., 2003, Earthworks of Norfolk (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 104) p170-1 [plan]
    Salter, Mike, 2002, Index and Amendments to Mike Salter's English Castles Books (Malvern) p9
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p58
    Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (Oxford: BAR 309) p35-6, 85-8
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p164 [slight]
    Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p68-9
    Wade-Martins, P. (ed), 1987, Norfolk From The Air Vol1 (Norfolk Museums Service) p29
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p307
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p245
    Wilton, J.W., 1979, Earthworks and Fortifications of Norfolk (Weathercock Press) p23
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1962, Buildings of England: Norwich and north-east Norfolk (Penguin) p171
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p301-2
• Journal Articles
  • Barrett-Lennard, T., 1904, 'Some Account of the Manor or Castle of Horsford' Norfolk Archaeology Vol15 p267-93
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/norfeng.html#norf4]