Warrington Mote Hill

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Moat Hill; The Mount

In the civil parish of Warrington. In the historic county of Lancashire (Modern Authority of Warrington, 1974 county of Cheshire).

Motte and bailey castle . This was the largest Motte and Bailey in Lancashire. Earlier accounts indicate that the mound was oval, 162ft north west to south east by 129ft north east to south west, and 9ft high, with a flat top, 90ft in diameter. A ditch, partly water filled, once surrounded the motte. The bailey was formed by a ditch, averaging 6ft deep in 1908. The mound was excavated in 1832 when a pit, a well and various finds including a horse shoe, a knife, a quern, nails and Roman pottery was found. There is evidence for reuse during the civil war, when in 1643 the parliamentarians besieging the town used the motte as a canon platform. There are no extant remains of the motte and bailey. The site is occupied by a public park and waste ground marking the area where a school once stood.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ61628851

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 73208
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 438/1/0 '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.

• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Lancashire and Cheshire (Malvern) p39
    Lewis, J., 2000, The Medieval Earthworks of the Hundred of West Derby
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p249
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p316
    Gibson, Leslie Irving, 1977, Lancashire Castles and Towers (Dalesman Books)
    Grealey, S., 1976, The Archaeology of Warrington's Past p39-40
    Bu'lock, J.D., 1973, Pre Norman Cheshire p62
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p340
    Hill, D.H., 1972, Archaeological excavations (Department of the Environment) p90
    Gardner, 1908, in Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), VCH Lancaster Vol2 p539-43
    Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), 1907, VCH Lancaster Vol3 p305 - http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41337
    Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), 1906, VCH Lancaster Vol1 p262
    Harrison, W., 1896, An Archaeological Survey of Lancashire p24
    Baines, E., 1870, History of the County Palatine & Duchy of Lancaster Vol3
• Journal Articles
  • Beamont, W., 1882, Transactions of the Chetham Society Vol3
    Allen, 1856, Archaeological Journal Vol13 p180-1
    1853, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol8 p162
    Kendrick, J., 1853, Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire Vol5 p59-68 [excavation report]
    Allen, 1852, Archaeological Journal Vol9 p304