Dunham Massey, The mount

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Dunham Massie

In the civil parish of Dunham Massey. In the historic county of Cheshire (Modern Authority of Trafford, 1974 county of Greater Manchester).

Medieval motte and bailey in Dunham Park. It was held by Hamo de Masci against Henry II in 1173. Surviving features include a moat and mount at the north-west corner of Dunham Massey Hall. The mount survives to a height of 2m and has a diameter of 24m. Has been alter for use as a prospect mound. The moat has been flooded as an ornamental lake; the Hall probably occupies the bailey. (PastScape)
The documented castle of Hamo de Masci may have been the hastily erected motte and bailey at Bowden Watch Hill (qv), but that was not Hamo's caput. Clearly the alterations to the landscape at Dunham Massey means the C12 castle is much altered but there is no reason to doubt at castle here, despite some sources referring to this mound as post-medieval.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ73428742

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 74896
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 50809*0 '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.

• Web site links
  • http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-dunhammassey [admission details]
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Lancashire and Cheshire (Malvern) p17
    Nevell, Mike, (ed), 1997, The Archaeology of Trafford (Trafford Metropolitan Borough with University of Manchester Archaeological Unit) p33
    Cullen, P.W. and Hordern, R., 1986, Castles of Cheshire (Crossbow Books) p12
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p67
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p223
    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)
    Hall, C., 1909, Dunham Massey Hall, Cheshire - An account of its history
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p171
    Ormerod, G., 1882 [2edn], History of the County Palatine and city of Chester (London) Vol1 p533
• Journal Articles
  • 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
    1925, Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society Vol42 p53-60
• Guidebooks
  • Dunham Massey Hall Guide Book (National Trust)
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Green, P., 1993, The History of the Garden at Dunham Massey (Unpublished NT report