Richards Castle Village Defences (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Auretone; Averetone; Avretone; Overton

In the civil parish of Richards Castle.
In the historic county of Herefordshire.
Modern Authority of Herefordshire.
1974 county of Hereford and Worcester.
Medieval County of Herefordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SO486703
Latitude 52.32884° Longitude -2.75687°

Richards Castle Village Defences has been described as a certain Urban Defence.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

Earth bank and ditch NE from castle were excavated. Later addition to castle of c1200. Bank is best preserved on W facing col where it is linked to castle across moat by wall. Sectioned c50' from castle ditch. Runs 100 yds to NE then turns at right angle to enclose Church Farm (C17) then follows lane where ditch forms County Boundary. In same direction it crosses lane where ditch is visible as sort of cliff edge. 60 yds from lane presumed tower turned out to be dovecote. Bank lost in Green Farm on steep escarpment. Ditch 16' across and 12' deep (prob with V bottom although not completely excavated). Bank 8' high, 37' wide, simple dump construction seemingly as taken out of ditch. Small sherds on old ground surface under bank at back & front & in makeup - C12 vessels. (Herefordshire SMR)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1011020, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number 19178
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 890347.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 7516; 16028.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Herefordshire Through Time
  Herefordshire Through Time
Books
- Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 121
  Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 26, 64, 82, 159, 217, 265, 278
  Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 58
  Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 101
  Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 215
  Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales (CBA Research Report 14) p. 57-71 download/view online
  Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 208
  Beresford, Maurice, 1967, New towns of the Middle Ages: town plantation in England, Wales and Gascony (London: Lutterworth Press) p. 451-2
  RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 3: north-west p. 172 (plan 173) online transcription
Periodical Articles
- Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  Bond J., 2001, 'Earthen Castles, Outer Enclosures and the Earthworks at Ascott d'Oilly Castle, Oxfordshire' Oxoniensia Vol. 46 p. 65-6 (Appendix: Norman earthwork castles with failed towns in outer enclosures) online copy
  Currow, P.E. and Thompson, M.W.,1969, Excavations at Richards Castle Herefordshire 1962-1964' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol. 32 p. 105-128
  Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 116 p. 71-132
  Hurst, D. Gillian, 1965, 'Medieval Britain in 1964, II. Post-Conquest' Medieval Archaeology Vol. 9 p. 190 download copy
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Dalwood, H. and Bryant, V. (eds), 2005, The Central Marches Historic Towns Survey 1992-6 Download online copy
  Dalwood, H., 1996, Archaeological Assessment of Richard's Castle, Hereford and Worcester (Central Marches Historic Towns Survey, Herefordshire and Worcester County Council)

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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