Shustoke Church End

Description

Earthwork remains of a motte and bailey. The motte stands 1.7m above the bailey interior and 4m above the level of the farmyard although the motte's original form has clearly been heavily degraded and reduced in height. There is no indication of a ditch separating the surviving motte perimeter from the bailey. The bailey to the north is basically sub-circular in shape, measuring overall 62m east to west by 38m north to south, defined by substantial scarps on the west and north sides, which stand to a height of 2.5m above the surrounding outer surface and there are traces of an inner bank at the north west, now only 0.3m high (1988). The remainder of the motte has been destroyed by a C17 farmhouse. (PastScape)

Stone mound to S of church, evidently old. Between house and church a bank, part of a moat? (Chatwin)
The mound has steep sides, is about 2m high with a roughly flat top. It is roughly pentagonal. There are large quantities of worked stone in and around the mound. These could have been fabric from the Medieval church discarded during alterations. (SMR card - author JMG)

SP 24329096. Mound. Approximately 6' high with a flattish top and pentagonal in shape. Possibly a motte. There are large quantities of worked stone in and around the mound. Some have been re-used eg. a capital from a pillar has been used to support a trough at Church Farm, and may be from the fabric of the Md. church, discarded during restoration. (Warw SMR)
SP 24280 90930. Situated between Church Farm to the S and St Cuthburt's Church to the N on the highest point of a N facing spur are the remains of a probable motte and bailey earthwork. Only the NW quadrant of the now low spread motte still survives, the remainder having been destroyed by the buildings of Church Farm which date variously from the early 17th c to the present day. In its current form the top of the mounding representing the motte stands 1.7 m above the bailey interior and 4 m above the level of the farmyard although the mottes original form has clearly been heavily degraded and reduced in height. There is no indication of a ditch separating the surviving motte perimeter from the bailey. The bailey to the N is basically sub-circular in shape, measuring overall 62 m EW by 38 m NS, defined by substantial scarps on the W and N sides (which are generally straight) which stand to a height of 2.5 m above the surrounding outer surface; there are traces of an inner bank at the NW, now only 0.3 m high. At the N the scarping defining the bailey perimeter lies within the churchyard and has been much disturbed by the insertion of mid to late 18th c. and 19th c. burials; there are slight traces of a possible outer ditch and bank (upon which is situated a medieval cross). The E side of the bailey has been greatly mutilated although its line is still traceable. There is no obvious entrance. Worked stone and rubble visible on the W and N sides of the bailey has been clearly dumped and does not form part of any remnant structure.
The capital noted by Warw SMR is square headed and undecorated and is located outside the front door on the S side of Church Farm. Two smooth sandstone column shafts with circular chamfered bases were found during construction of poultry sheds in the SE corner of the bailey and are now located in a private garden at SP 284896. (PastScape ref. Field Investigators Comments F1 SA 06-DEC-88)

Comments

Site of a DMV. The relatively recent identification of the site (1988) means this is missing from the usual castle gazetteers. This site must have been abandoned early and its knowledge of it as a castle site forgotten as Dugdale, the fine C17 antiquarian historian, was born in the old Rectory in 1605.