Tregate Castle, Llanrothal (The Gatehouse Record)

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

OS Map Grid Reference: SO47951715
Latitude 51.85051° Longitude -2.75661°

Tregate Castle, Llanrothal has been described as a certain Timber Castle, and also as a probable Masonry Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

The earthwork remains of a motte and bailey castle and fishponds. The motte has a base diameter of 53 metres and a height of from 3 metres on the south east side to 6 metres on the north west side. Evidence of a shell keep has been reported on top of the motte. There are traces of an outer ditch on the north west side. Adjoining the south side is a small bailey extending 6 to 12 metres from the base of the motte. There are also earthwork remains of terraces and three rectangular medieval fishponds. (PastScape)

Roughly circular mound c 60yds in diameter, slight rampart enclosing remains of masonry and rising 12' above bailey. To SW is a series of terraces which appear to have formed two or three outer courts of rectangular form. Traces of ditch on NE side (RCHME). Box 10' square cut on top of motte, much black medieval pottery found above natural clay subsoil which had been dug into fairly large post hole dated by rim of medieval cooking pot. In N corner a pit has been dug, both this and levels above contained large blocks of tufa. 30' trench also cut across foot of W rampart, no defensive works discovered. Suggested it was a C12 earth and timber castle, occupied for no more than 100 years, when it reverted to a fortified farmhouse (Jenkins, 1970). Situated at SW end of spur. Motte base diameter is 53m, height 3m on SE side - 6m on NW. Traces of outer ditch on NW. Ditch must have continued around NE side to have cut site off from ridge top rising to NE. Ground now occupied by modern road. Adjacent to the S side, small bailey extending 6-12m from base of motte. Beyond are three rectangular terraces 60m long, 20-30m wide, separated by lynchet-like slopes. Bounded at NE ends by remains of ditch, at S end 11m wide, 0.7m deep, possibly descended to stream (OS record, 1972). Tregate Castle farm - reset C14 window and medieval masonry in walls. A number of earthworks were noted to the SW of the motte and bailey. One earthwork comprised the remains of a two-cell building approx 10m long and 3.5m wide. Other earthworks are associated with a post-medieval garden, including three large terraces. (Herefordshire SMR)

The shape and size of the mound does not suggest a strongly defended castle but does infer a later fortified-site... a small fortified-site based on land tenure. (Phillips 2005)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1005338, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number he172
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 107593.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 933.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Herefordshire Through Time
Books
- Shoesmith, Ron, 2009 (Rev edn.), Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press) p.205-6
  Phillips, Neil, 2005, Earthwork Castles of Gwent and Ergyng AD 1050-1250 (University of Wales) p. 330-1 Download from ADS
  Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 64
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 103 (slight)
  Stirling-Brown, R., 1989, Herefordshire Castles (privately published) p. 12
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 208
  1981, Herefordshire Countryside Treasures (Hereford and Worcester County Council) p. 82
  RCHME, 1931, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire Vol. 1: south-west p. xxxvi, 172 No. 2 online transcription
  Gould, I. Chalkley, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Herefordshire Vol. 1 p. 223
Periodical Articles
- 1987, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 47 p. 12.-13
  Jenkins and others, 1970, West Midlands Archaeology Vol. 10 p. 26
  Stanford, S.C., 1969, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol. 14 p. 4 (plan)
  Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124

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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.

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