Ridgmont Castle Hill (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Rugemont Castle

In the civil parish of Ridgmont.
In the historic county of Bedfordshire.
Modern Authority of Bedfordshire.
1974 county of Bedfordshire.
Medieval County of Bedfordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SP97333624
Latitude 52.01606° Longitude -0.58314°

Ridgmont Castle Hill has been described as a Timber Castle but is rejected as such.

There are no visible remains.

Description

Hill known as Castle Hill since 16th century. No visible earthworks, except for some quarrying, and the area lay in the open fields until Enclosure. Unlikely therefore to be a castle site, but the name still needs explanation.
Site in Ridgmont village, known as Castle Hill since the 16th century. The sides of the hill fall away steeply to the north west and south west, but these slopes have been terraced for housing. A disused sand pit lies in its east side, and there is an area of ridge and furrow to the west of the hill.
No associated finds have been made and there are no clear documentary references to the siting of a castle here. The identification is therefore uncertain. (Bedfordshire HER)

No visible remains of this ancient castle now exist and the mound on which it is supposed to have stood has been levelled and nothing now remains to indicate its former importance (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Object Name Book reference ONB Rev 1900 Sheet 21 SW p10).
Rugemont Castle, the stronghold of the de Greys and their predecessors the Wahulls in the parish of Ridgmont. It is not mentioned before
the 12th C. (Williams sites Rugemont Castle to the "Intrenchments" at Brogborough Park Farm (see SP 93 NE 2), but as there is doubt as to the classification of the latter, the castle was possibly in the village of Ridgmont) (VCH).
There is no trace of a castle or castle mound at the OS published site on Castle Hill, a knoll at the NW end of a spur, separated from the
spur by a disused sand-pit on its E side.
The sides of Castle Hill fall away steeply to the NW and SW though these slopes have been terraced for housing. The summit is occupied by an allotment garden. No finds have been made, and no castle is noted on maps or documents held in Bedford Record Office. To the W of the knoll is an extensive area of rig and furrow. The only evidence for a castle therefore is (a) the good natural defensive position, (b) the name Castle Hill, (c) documentary evidence for the name Rugemont Castle, and (d) the proximity of Md agriculture.This is insufficient to enable classification as a castle site, though it seems probable (F1 NKB 08-AUG-1973). (PastScape)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 346614.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 33.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Bedford Borough Council
Books
- Petre, James Scott, 2012, The Castles of Bedfordshire (Lavenham: Lavenham Press for Shaun Tyas) p. 104-5 (discounted as castle)
Periodical Articles
- Cotchin, R., 1989, 'Where was Rugemont castle?' Bedfordshire Magazine Vol. 22 no. 169 p. 1-5
  Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol. 9-10 p. 35-54
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Lowerre, A.G., 2004, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (PhD thesis: Boston College) p. 465

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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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