Chideock Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Chidiok; Ruins Field

In the civil parish of Chideock. In the historic county of Dorset (Modern Authority of Dorset, 1974 county of Dorset).

The earthwork remains of a moated site of manorial status and associated enclosures, fishponds, building platforms and terraces within the field known as Ruins Field. The moated site comprises a square platform, 42m across, containing earthworks which reflect the positions of previous buildings. It is surrounded by a deep moat, on average 15m wide and 2.5m deep. Documentary evidence indiactes that the manor of Chideock was given to SIr Thomas le Brithun in 1248. In the late C13 the manor passed to John Gervase who was granted a licence to crenellate his hall (This is an unsupported claim for licence and may represent a misdating of the later licences and a subsequent misattribution to Gervase). Licences to crenellate were also granted in 1370 (Ratified 1379/80). The house was built in stone with later brick additions and was destroyed in the Civil War. The ruins of the gatehouse were still visible in 1733 when they were pictured in an engraving by Buck, but were destroyed by the middle of C18.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SY42399309

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 450215
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1 034 002 '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, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p15
    Pomeroy, Colin, 1998, Discover Dorset Castles and Forts (Dovecote Press) p11-2
    Wilton, Phil,1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p69 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p126
    Hunt, A., 1978, Moated Sites Research Group report Vol5 p4-5
    RCHME, 1952, An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Vol1: west (HMSO) p95
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p240-1
    Hutchins, J., 1861-73 (3edn), History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset (Blandford) Vol2 p258-9
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2
    p347, 418
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p73
• Journal Articles
  • Bertelot, R.Grosvenor, 1943, 'Vanished Mediaeval Castles of Dorset' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol66 p73-75
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1367-70) p371
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1377-81) p491
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p132
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Upton, K.L., 1978: “The Moated Sites of Dorset” p11-12 [thesis]