Broadward Hall

Description

The motte castle 510m east of Broadward Hall is a well-preserved example of this class of monument, despite disturbance to the mound from a 19th century excavation and erosion of part of the surrounding ditch. The mound will retain evidence of its construction and the structures that were built upon its summit. Organic remains preserved within the buried ground surface under the mound and within the surrounding ditch will provide valuable evidence about the local environment and the use of the land before and after the motte castle was constructed. The importance of the monument is further enhanced by its association with other motte castles nearby. The monument remains a prominent feature within the landscape.
The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a motte castle, situated within the flood plain of the River Clun from which there are extensive views of the surrounding area. It is situated roughly midway between the motte castles at Leintwardine and Clungunford, which are the subject of separate schedulings, and which also occupy land next to the River Clun. All three castles would appear to have controlled crossing points across the lower downstream portion of the river. The flat-topped, steep-sided oval mound measures approximately 27m by 32m at its base, 11m by 14m across the top and stands up to 3.5m high. The size of the mound indicates it was only large enough to support a watch tower. Although no longer visible at ground level, except where it is cut by the river, a ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument, surrounds the mound. The exposed section of the ditch indicates that is about 5m wide and 1m deep, and has been infilled with riverine sediments. A limited excavation of the mound was conducted in the mid-19th century in the belief that it was a burial mound. No burials or artefacts were found during this investigation. (Scheduling Report)

A small motte on the W bank of the R Clun with base diameters of 32.0m NW-SE and 27.0m transversely, a height of 3.0m on the NW side stepping up to 3.5m on the SE side and a summit measuring 18.0m NW-SE by 10.0m transversely. No traces of a surrounding ditch, which would probably long ago have been silted up by river floodwaters, or of a bailey. The motte is tree-covered and in good condition. (PastScape ref. Field Investigators Comments F1 ASP 16-OCT-73)

Comments

Broadwall was one of several small manors held Walter de Hopton in 1255 for two knights' fees the service being to provide one resident soldier and one soldier for 40 days in wartime to Clun Castle.
In this flood plain a small mound with a grain store on top would be a sensible precaution against winter floods. Any surrounding ditch or an ditch enclosure (bailey) will have been silted up during flooding. Gatehouse considers this was a 'knights fee' farmstead type motte of mostly symbolic value but it and its possible companion could have a pure utilitarian function as a flood refuge. It should be noted David King called this a 'possible' castle, a term he used for sites about which he had doubts. There is a question as to if this was a residential site or if Broadward Hall at SO38897656 is on the site of the medieval manor house. The Hopton's caput was Hopton Castle.