The Gatehouse website record for Wakefield Lowe Hill

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Clarence Park; Law Hill; Low Hill; Thornes

In the civil parish of Wakefield. In the historic county of Yorkshire West Riding (Modern Authority of Wakefield, 1974 county of West Yorkshire).

Medieval motte with two baileys to the north east. A terrace at the north end at first thought to be a third bailey appears to be the result of levelling for a bandstand in the C19. All earthworks except the motte have been damaged by landscape gardening. Excavation in 1953 indicated that the motte is probably an unfinished C12 adulterine castle. Leland relates the story that the Earls Warren started the building but that as fast as he could build the force of the wind destroyed the work but speculated this was an idle story and that this was just a windmill mound.
The motte is heavily overgrown as are most of the ditches. If the castle was destroyed by a wind, particularly if a spectacular destruction (such as the tornado in Birmingham in 2005), then this may well have been taken as a sign of God's ill will and lead to the early abandonment of the site and replacement by Sandal Castle.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SE32651968

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 52514
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.

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

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