Castle - motte and bailey

The National Monuments Service's description

According to Killanin and Duignan (1967, 329), the monument was built by Adam de Hereford. On a very gentle W-facing slope, much altered locally by the construction of the Castlewarden Golf and Country Club, towards the W end of which the monument stands. Described in 1977 (SMR File) as a fairly level, D-shaped mound (diam. 45m E-W; ext. H at E 3m; ext H at W 1m) with a straight E side (L 27m N-S) with traces of a low bank at SW. The mound was girdled SE-W-NE by a broad fosse (Wth 5m; D 0.5-1m), and a high, wide, outer bank (Wth 5m; H 2m), outside of which a second, shallow fosse ran (Wth 3m). The enclosing bank and fosse were not noted along the straight E side, but a shallow fosse or leat ran NE from the NE base of the mound to connect with a nearby stream. A gap in the enclosing bank at W did not have corresponding causeways across the inner and outer fosses. A lower, almost square area (dims. L c. 30m; Wth c. 30m) defined by a low bank on a scarp, immediately to the E was subsequently identified as a possible bailey. This now acts as the 10th Green with the 11th Tee immediately to the S, while the motte is abutted at N by the 13th Green and at S by the 12th Green. The monument was associated with a series of low earthworks/enclosures (KD015-009002-). Registered as a Historic Monument (Medieval Earthwork Complex) on 19-July-1976.

Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy

Date of upload: 10 June 2011

References

Killanin, M.M. and Duignan, M.V. 1967 (2nd ed.) The Shell guide to Ireland. London. The Ebury Press.