Kinaird Castle, Owston Ferry

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Kinnards Ferry; Axholme; Kenefar; Kinardferry

In the civil parish of Owston Ferry. In the historic county of Lincolnshire (Modern Authority of North Lincolnshire, 1974 county of Humberside).

The buried and earthwork remains of a Norman earthwork motte and bailey castle. The castle is thought to have been constructed in the late 1080s, to control traffic between Lindsey and the Isle of Axholme across the River Trent. Records suggest that it was partially demolished in 1095, in one of the years when William Rufus faced a revolt in support of his brother's claim to the throne. In 1173-74 the catle was re-fortified by Roger de Mowbray in rebellion against Henry II, but surrendered to royal forces under the command of the king's son Geoffrey Plantagenet in 1174. The castle was then slighted to make it undefendable. The castle is thought to have originally included a motte surrounded by a moat ditch. To the north west were two baileys, the whole surrounded by a bank and second external moat ditch. Excavated in 1995. (Harvey lists Owston and Axholme as two seperate sites)
On opposite side of village from the river Trent and ferry, which are nearly a kilometer away, so not ideal location for a pure military site and must be primarily a manorial administrative centre, although would still have some value as a policing station.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SE80510026

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 60921
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, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p58
    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 p262
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p249
    Loughlin, Neil and Miller, Keith, 1979, A survey of archaeological sites in Humberside carried out for the Humberside Joint Archaeological Committee p156
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p438
    Stonehouse, 1839, Isle of Axholme (London) p223-5
• Journal Articles
  • 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
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/lincseng.html#lincs28]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p296
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol1 p37 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl01