Brackley Castle

In the civil parish of Brackley. In the historic county of Northamptonshire (Modern Authority of Northamptonshire, 1974 county of Northamptonshire).

The earthwork remains of Brackley castle, comprising a motte mound 3m high and approximately 40m in diameter with an outer bailey to the east. Archaeological excavation has revealed evidence of a ditch defining the perimeter of the bailey. Two fishponds originally lay outside the ditch but have subsequently been infilled. Brackley Castle was constructed soon after 1086 and may have gone out of use in 1147. Destroyed by Henry III 1173. The site was later granted to the Hospital of St John.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP58193646

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 338972
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) p72
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p319
    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., 1896, Castles of England (New York: Macmillan) Vol1 p166 [slight mention, mislocated in Oxfordshire] http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesofengland01mack#page/166/mode/1up
• Journal Articles
  • 1992, South Midlands Archaeology Vol22 p41-2
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T.B., 1983, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1982' Medieval Archaeology Vol27 p197 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    1983, Northamptonshire Archaeology Vol18 p176
    1983, South Midlands Archaeology Vol13 p25-6
    1982, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol12 p31-2
    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)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p236, 330, 333
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol2 p36 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl02lelauoft ; Vol5 p224 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl05lelauoft