Cheney Longville Castle Ring

In the civil parish of Wistanstow. In the historic county of Shropshire (Modern Authority of Shropshire, 1974 county of Shropshire).

The ringwork lies to the north-west of Cheney Longville and is situated on high ground overlooking the village. Cheney Longville ringwork comprises a ditch and bank about 1.5m high enclosing a central area about 35m across. The interior of the ringwork is slightly raised above the surrounding ground level and has some irregularities suggesting the presence of buried buildings. The outer ditch is up to 3m deep and 5m wide on the south, west and north sides but has been considerably altered by a road on the north and north-east sides and by the building of a cottage on the south-east side. There are entrances to the site through the bank on the north and south sides but these are not considered to be original. The ringwork is thought to have been constructed in C11 or C12 and it may have been replaced by the moated castle site which lies 150m to the south west. (EH scheduling report 1993)
Traditionally a Civil War earthwork raised against Cheney Longvillle Castle (Acton 1877)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO41868494

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 109066
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00161 '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
  • Duckers, Peter and Anne, 2006, Castles of Shropshire (Stroud: Tempus) p54, 55
    Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p17
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p432
    Wall [after Downham], 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol1 p382 [plan]
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    1905, Transactions of the Caradoc and Severn Field Club Vol4 p91
    Stackhouse-Acton, F., 1877-8, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol1 p124-5
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • English Heritage, 1993, Scheduling Papers (Affirmation, 15/02/1993)
    Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission, 1987, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 32169 (27/02/1987)