Bakewell Castle Hill

In the civil parish of Bakewell. In the historic county of Derbyshire (Modern Authority of Derbyshire, 1974 county of Derbyshire).

Castle Hill had been thought to be the site of the burh of Edward the Elder documented in 902. However, excavations between 1969 and 1971 found no evidence of occupation on the site prior to the Conquest. The site rather represents a motte and bailey, possibly with intermittent occupation. (PastScape)
Preliminary investigation by M. Swanton of the Castle Hill earthwork popularly identified with Edward the Elder's burh of 923 indicated a construction of two periods. Some time during the 12th century a 'motte' had been erected to strengthen a rubble rampart (probably square in plan) of earlier but undetermined date. (Med. Arch.)
Unusually in being some distance from the church and other side of river from village. It may be that the geographical restrictions limited the sites available for the castle for a lord without either the power of will to destroy houses in the village. The VCH suggests that the inhabitants of the village were mainly Danish. Therefore, the Saxon centre of administration might have developed after the village had been built and been pushed out to the edge, The motte is clearly Norman but I wonder if the site does occupy a small thengal burh (of a sort not looked for by the earlier investigators. see also Bakewell Burh (qv)).

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK22116878

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 311186
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.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/119/bakewellcastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p14
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p52 [slight]
    Smith, Michael E., 1992, Castles and Manor Houses in and around Derbyshire (Derby)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p108
    Hart, C.R., 1981, The North Derbyshire Archaeological Survey to AD1500 (Derbyshire Archaeological Trust)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p182
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p47
    Cox, 1905, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Derbyshire Vol1 p376 http://www.archive.org/stream/victoriahistoryo01pageuoft#page/376/mode/1up
• Journal Articles
  • Swanton, M.J., 1972, 'Castle Hill, Bakewell' Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol92 p16-26
    [Swanton], 1970, Medieval Archaeology Vol14 p175 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Stenton, Frank Merry; edited by Doris Mary Stenton, 1970, Preparatory to Anglo-Saxon England being the collected papers of Frank Merry Stenton Vol1943 p330-32
    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