Elmley Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Almelege; Emly; Elmsley

In the civil parish of Elmley Castle. In the historic county of Worcestershire (Modern Authority of Worcestershire, 1974 county of Hereford and Worcester).

Earthwork remains of two superimposed Iron Age hillforts modified by a Medieval ringwork or motte and bailey. The Medieval castle is said to have been built by Robert le Despenser circa 1080, and until 1396 was the chief seat of the Beauchamp family. It seems to have been habitable until 1528, but in 1544 was roofless and in a state of decay. Minor excavations located the probable site of the Keep. There is an attached Medieval deer park and college of secular priests or chantry chapel. Leland records seeing carts of stone been taken from the castle to mend Pershore Bridge.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO979402

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 118105
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.

• Web site links
  • http://www.ecastles.co.uk/elmley.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p78
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p278-9
    Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p46
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p200
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p507
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p227
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p414, 425
    Montgomerie, 1924, in Page, Wm and Willis-Bund, J.W. (eds), VCH Worcestershire Vol4 p431-3
    Page, Wm and Willis-Bund, J.W. (eds), 1913, VCH Worcestershire Vol3 p339-40
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p382-3
    Bennett, 1865, History of Elmley Castle
• Journal Articles
  • Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p318
    Bond, C.J. and Aston, M., 1970, CBA Group 8: West Midlands Research Committees reports Vol13 p25-6
    Dyer, 1965-6, University of Birmingham Historical Journal Vol10 p88-9
    Hilton, 1965-6, University of Birmingham Historical Journal Vol10 p78-87
    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
    1928, 'Proceedings at the Spring Meeting at Ashchurch, Woollas Hall, Pershore and Elmley Castle, 21 May 1928' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol50 p6 http://www2.glos.ac.uk/bgas/tbgas/v050/bg050001.pdf
    Jeffery, 1911-13, Worcestershire Naturalists Club Vol5 p447-50 [poor history]
    Bennett, 1876, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol32 p203-9 [weak history]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p472-3
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng.html#worcs8]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p517
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol4 p136 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl04lelauoft ; Vol5 p9 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl05lelauoft