Croston

Description

Site of Castle and Moat. The site of the castle is within a roughly triangular-shaped field of pasture, planted with fruit trees, except for the western end. The owner stated that the site had not been ploughed within living memory. No finds have been recovered and there are no visible remains. The site must be considered purely hypothetical. (PastScape)

"I own the field in which the castle is said to have stood. I have never heard of anything ever being found which could be associated with the site. The field has'nt been ploughed in my time. It has been an orchard as long as I can remember, and always under grass. I well remember the so-called CASTLE DITCH being filled-up. Actually it was the old course of the river {YARROW}. It flowed once, by the side of the TOWN ROAD, from the old bridge, in a large bend round the north side of the Castle field to where the CASTLE BRIDGE now is. It was filled in about 30-40 years ago. The present course of the river, I believe, follows the line of the moat, cut across the width of the bend, to make an island on which to build the castle." (F1 ASP 29-NOV-57)
The site of the castle is within a roughly triangular-shaped field of pasture, planted with fruit trees, except for the western end. The pasture shows traces of old rig and furrow ploughing. Along the south side is the River YARROW, and the north and west sides are bounded by a modern footpath named CASTLE DITCH. To the east, are bungalows, and various properties bordering on TOWN ROAD. No traces of the castle or its moat are now to be seen. The site lies in fairly flat low-lying country, which in earlier times would have been very marshy generally. But CROSTON stands upon a slight elevation rising some 4.0m. above the ground to the west, and here stands a bridge, dated 1682 (see SD 41NE9) crossing the River YARROW. It seems likely then, that some form of defence might have been constructed here to defend this isolated river crossing (F2 ASP 30-NOV-57). (PastScape)

As the Castle Place, Castle Hill and Castle Yard are named in 16th-century deeds, there may have been a castle there in earlier times. (VCH)

Comments

Marked as site of castle on 1847 map. Site is quite consistent with manorial centre at other end of village from church and with timber castle later replaced by moated manor house, possibly in bailey. The manor was held by a knights fee sub-tenanted from the lords of Hornby. The occurrence of the name Castle Hill in a C16 document may be suggestive of a motte, although in this area of flat land a 'hill' might have been a slight rise in level, such as a building platform. Site of castle is now encrouched upon by buildings but moat site still open field. Requires archaeological investigation but definitely a possible castle site. The close proximity to river will have resulted in flooding removing or burying traces.