Burlough Castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Burghlow; Middleton; Milton; Burlow

In the civil parish of Arlington.
In the historic county of Sussex.
Modern Authority of East Sussex.
1974 county of East Sussex.
Medieval County of Sussex (Rape of Pevensey).

OS Map Grid Reference: TQ53010419
Latitude 50.81705° Longitude 0.17073°

Burlough Castle has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such, and also as a Masonry Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

A "fortified area"(Annotated Record Map E Curwen 1949) on which foundations of walls of indeterminate shape and form were visible pre-1824 (Horsfield 1824), but which had been excavated by 1835 and two large barns built of the materials (Horsfield 1835). Similar informations from Allcroft, who states that the area is "sown with coins" (Allcroft 1922).
Described by Clinch as Burghlow Castle (Class 'E' earthwork) a mount and bailey castle, the mount occupying the N part of the castle which has no outer rampart (Sussex Views 1951).
A view of the "Ruins of Burlow Castle" by S F Grimm (1770-80) is in the collection of Sir William Burrell at the British Museum (Sussex Views). (A copy in Sx Rec Soc Jubilee Volume " Sussex Views" shows only the plateau and no building ruins).
(Centred TQ530044) Dr Wards map of c 1618 is annotated "The ruins of the Castle of Burlow" (Ward's map is more of a sketch so position is only accurate to c 100-200.0m).
Shoosmith (1933) suggests it may have been a 12th c adulterine castle, but Evans (1933) indicates that there is no historical evidence and digging has produced absolutely no finds.
Musson, summarising the evidence, suggests that the name be removed from OS maps and C W Phillips agrees.
The name Burlow Castle (verified locally) refers to a natual hillock, bounded on the W by a steep river cliff, and elsewhere by slopes forming an excellent natural defence, though there is no trace of artificial defences or building foundations.
In 1972, the occupants of Milton House found IA/RB potsherds and Me worked flints on the site after ploughing, but no finds of post-Conquest period are known to have been made.
Field examination and local enquiries have failed to substantiate or deny the former existence of a "castle" (F1 NKB 31-AUG-72).
The East Sussex Archaeology Project field-walked the site under the supervision of Paul Smith, discovering 12th to 13th century pottery. An antiquarian print held at Barbican House Museum, Lewes, apparently shows the ruins of walls at the site.
Also from thee vicinity are a Mesolithic tranchet axe "BURLOW 1884" and Neolithic finds of an axe "BURLOW 1835", and a pick, "BURLOW 1882". (Holden) (PastScape)

Comments

Supposedly earthworks of motte and bailey, which sometime said to have some stonework at sometime. This site is rejected by King as entirely natural and the VCH description being of Arlington Rookery. Not now an obvious manorial centre but there is a Milton Court Farm 330m SW so possibly was a manorial centre. However Milton Court farm is much closer to Arlington Rookery. It does appear that there is considerable confusion between this site and the very nearby site of Arlington. The Burlough Castle site (as marked on OS map) is scheduled but that is an old scheduling record from before 1988 and may be overdue for reconsideration. Where descriptions are of this site and not Arlington Rookery Gatehouse (slightly mislocated) wonders if the 'castle' field name and some vaguely suggesting natural scarping have lead to soem fanciful reporting.

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1002290, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number es114
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 408670.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) MES2763.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- CastleUK.net
Books
- Guy, John, 1984, Castles in Sussex (Phillimore) p. 126
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 475 (reject)
  Godfrey, W.H., Salzman, L.F. (eds), 1951, Sussex Views selected from the Burrell Collection. Being the Jubilee volume of the Sussex record Society (Sussex rcord Society)
  Allcroft, A.H., 1922, Downland Pathways (Methuen) p. 72-3
  Clinch, G., 1905, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Sussex Vol. 1 p. 475-6 (where description is actually that of Arlington) online copy
  Horsfield, T.W., 1835, The History, Antiquities, and Topography of the County of Sussex Vol. 1 p. 320 online copy
  Horsfield, T.W., 1824, The History and Antiquities of Lewes and Its Vicinity Vol. 2 p. 8 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Burleigh, G.R., 1974, ' Medieval Earthworks at Arlington, Sussex' Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol. 112 p. 80-84
  Holden, E.W., 1974, Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol. 112 p. 6
  Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol. 33 p. 106-12
  Musson, R., 1954-7, Sussex notes and queries p. 19-22
  Evans, 1933, Sussex County Magazine Vol. 7 p. 685
  Shoosmith, E., 1933, Sussex County Magazine Vol. 7 p. 615-6
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Dr Ward's Map of Cuckmere Valley, c 1618. (2-3" - 1 mile)

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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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