Shipbrook Castle Hill

In the civil parish of Davenham. In the historic county of Cheshire (Modern Authority of Cheshire, 1974 county of Cheshire).

The site of a Norman castle is indicated by the name of Castle Hill, between Shipbrook Bridge, and Shipbrook Hill Farm. The remains are said to have actually existed on this spot circa 1850 and to have been cleared away under the direction of Mr. Edward Tomkinson (Ormerod). Probably a mound (Clark). No trace of a castle, or information concerning one, was found. Shipbrook Hill Farm is on a river escarpment and there is no high ground between there and the bridge. Three stone lintels of ogee-headed windows with carved heads above lying at SJ 6751 7102 are the only trace of antiquity in the vicinity. They are of doubtful date (Field Investigators Comments–F1 JHW 25-MAY-64). Some stones are located at the informant's farm, said to be from Shipbrook Castle, and to answer roughly to the description above. As at 2007 the best-preserved example, of sandstone, appears to have been the apex of an archway with a head carved on it, but is much weathered (Oral information). Described as an example of a baronial castle, several of which were built during the Welsh Wars. Little remains of most of these structures (Husain). (PastScape)
King writes destroyed in C18, a little doubtful. Shipbrook castle seems to have history as being in possession of Richard de Vernon, mentioned in Domesday. Not near medieval settlement but overlooking a river crossing. The mound in the flood plain of the river so almost certainly not a barrow, or windmill mound. Clearly whatever earthworks were here were capable of clearance in a time before bulldozers and this suggests a relatively small mound. Possibly a small castle more symbolic of the status of the tenant of the farmstead.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ67357110

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 73008
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 724/1 '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.

• Books
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p69
    Husain, B.M.C.,1973, Cheshire Under the Norman Earls 1066-1237 (Chester:Cheshire Community Council) p99, 101 [Vol4 of Bagley, J. (series ed) A History of Cheshire]
    Ridgway, Maurice Hill, 1958, 'Medieval Castles' in Sylvester, D. and Nulty, G. (eds), The Historical Atlas of Cheshire (Cheshire Community Council) p24-5
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p179
    Ormerod, G., 1882 [2edn], History of the County Palatine and city of Chester (London) Vol3 p253
• Journal Articles
  • Clark, G.T., 1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' Archaeological Journal Vol46 p202