Brinklow Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brinklo

In the civil parish of Brinklow. In the historic county of Warwickshire (Modern Authority of Warwickshire, 1974 county of Warwickshire).

Between Coventry and Rugby, the earthworks of this Norman castle which once guarded the Fosse Way. The entire works cover about two hectares and comprise inner courts and ditchworks. Although there are now three entrances to the inner courtyards, it is unlikely that any of these are original. The whole of the palisading was doubtlessly of wood. The mound has a diameter at the base of 260ft, and has a flat top 50ft across. It rises 60ft from the bottom of a 40ft wide, 20ft deep ditch and rampart. There is an inner and outer bailey enclosed by a large ditch. The castle is mentioned in 1095 and was probably abandoned by 1173.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP43877957

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 337579
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 3656 '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.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/140/brinklowcastle.htm
    http://timetrail.warwickshire.gov.uk/detail.aspx?monuid=WA3656
    http://www.ecastles.co.uk/brinklow.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p256
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p35
    Salter, Mike, 1992, Castles and Moated Mansions of Warwickshire (Malvern) p21
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p481
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p194
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1951, VCH Warwickshire Vol6 p42
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Willoughby Gardner, 1904, in Doubleday, H.A. and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Warwickshire Vol1 p360-2
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p346
• 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
    Chatwin, P.B., 1947-8, 'Castles in Warwickshire' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol67 p4-6
    Chatwin, P.B., 1936, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol60 p152
    W(hitley), 1884, The Builder Vol47 p47-8
    Clark, G.T., 1878, 'The earthworks of Brinklow, Lilbourne, and Earl's Barton' Archaeological Journal Vol35 p112-17
    Burgess, 1872, Birmingham and Midlands Institute Archaeology Section p85
    Burgess, 1871, Birmingham and Midlands Institute Archaeology Section p16 [plate only]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng.html#warks14]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p477
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p11 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl05lelauoft