Rorrington, Chirbury

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; The Mount

In the civil parish of Chirbury With Brompton. In the historic county of Shropshire (Modern Authority of Shropshire, 1974 county of Shropshire).

The monument includes a small motte castle situated on the northern edge of a small steep sided valley. It includes an earthen mound up to 25m in diameter and 2.5m high positioned on the precipitous edge of the valley to make maximum defensive use of the natural topography, the natural slope forming the south west side of the motte. The flat summit of the motte is circular in plan with a diameter of 16m. A ditch 6m wide and 0.4m deep is visible around the north east quarter of the motte. The ditch has been removed by the excavation of a platform for the construction of a cottage and outbuildings around the south east quarter and would never have existed around the west, where the valley slopes provide sufficient defence. The cottage and outbuildings which lie adjacent to the monument are not included within the scheduling, their platform being cut through the ditch. (EH Scheduling report 1995)
The VCH wrote "Probably a tumulus" other, later writers accepts as small castle mound.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ30310043

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 66429
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 01044 '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) p136-7
    Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern) p88 [slight]
    Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p422 [Chirbury No6]
    Wall [after Downham], 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol1 p411 [where called 'tumulus']
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C. and Spurgeon, C.J., 1965, ‘The mottes in the Vale of Montgomery’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol114 p76
    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
    Chitty, Lily, 1949, 'Subsidiary Castle Sites West of Shrewsbury' Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society Vol53 p83-90
    1918-19, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol8 p161
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • English Heritage, 1995, Scheduling Papers (Revision, 19/05/1995)
    Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission, 1985, Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 18107