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Taynton Castle

Taynton Castle is a ruined earthwork castle near the village of Taynton, Gloucestershire.

History

The castle was probably built in the late 11th or early 12th century, following the Norman invasion of England, and would have lain along the border of conquered England and the Normans’ growing possessions in South Wales. It overlooked a tributary of the River Leadon.

Plan of the castle today: A – enclosure; B – motte or look-out tower; C – remains of ditch; D – entrance (post-dates original castle)

The remains of the castle today are a circular enclosure and ditch, approximately 30 m by 25 m across, defended by a rampart bank and ditch, with a raised mound in the north-east corner, now around 2 m high. It is uncertain what form the castle would originally have taken. It may have been a ringwork castle, with the mound forming a sort of motte or the base of a look-out tower.

In later years, a wood called “Castle Hill Wood” grew up around the site, which is now badly damaged by tree growth. At some point, an entrance was cut into the south-east side. The site is now protected under UK law as a Scheduled Monument.

Bibliography

Dodd, A.F. (1980) “Taynton: Castle Hill Earthwork,” Glevensis, Volume 14, p. 32.

Attribution

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