Stone

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Bury Bank; Berry Bank; Darlaston

In the civil parish of Stone Rural. In the historic county of Staffordshire (Modern Authority of Staffordshire, 1974 county of Staffordshire).

King writes 'nothing known of castle mentioned by Harvey as existing in Shropshire, possibly in error for Stone in Staffordshire, which itself has no known castle site.'
It should be said of Stone in Staffordshire that close to the town is the large Iron Age hill fort of Bury Bank. This is said to have had early medieval reuse as a Royal Mansion of King Wlferus of the Mercians (657-676AD). This is a classic hillfort but has a large low mound within it (Called a conical hill in Shaw); this was probably a barrow (early Saxon rather than prehistoric) although excavation in 1860 did not find a burial (but did find bits of bones and ashes). The VCH suggests the mound may have been surmounted by a watch tower and suggests this as "a prototype of the Norman Keep". Without knowing Harvey's source it is difficult to identify this castle with certainty, however, Staffordshire and Shropshire did share some administration during the medieval period (and Harvey does occasionally make errors in county location) and it is possible that the early Saxon Royal Manor may have remained in the memory as a castle. Called a saxon castle by Shaw (I presume Harvey's authority). I have, therefore, located this otherwise 'lost' castle at Bury Bank. Leland clearly describes Bury Bank as King Wulfhere's castle and that there are still large ditches and masonry to be seen.
An earthwork mound within the interior of the scheduled Bury Bank Hillfort. Interpreted as the remains of a possible round barrow. (Staffs HER)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ88213593

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 75648
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 00022; 00601 '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
  • Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p59 [ref Harvey]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p435 [Shropshire as possible, ref Harvey]
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Lynam, C., 1908, in Page, Wm. (ed), VCH Staffordshire Vol1 p342-4 [plan]
    Lewis, Samuel (ed), 1848, A Topgraphical Dictionary of England [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=50914#s2]
    Shaw, Stebbing, 1798, The History and Antiquities of Staffordshire (J.Nichols abd Son) [Republished 1976 by EP Publishing] Vol1 p36
• Journal Articles
  • Gunstone, A.J.H., 1965, 'An Archaeological Gazetteer of Staffordshire: Part 2' North Staffordshire Journal of Field Studies Vol5 p48
    Forde-Johnston, J.1964, 'The Hillforts of Staffordshire; Berry Rings, Bury Bank; Castle Ring' Archaeological Journal Vol120 p255-302
    Chitty, Lily F., 1937, 'How did the hill-fort builders reach the Breiddin?: a tentative explanation' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol92 p145
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p443