Roft Motte (The Gatehouse Record)

Roft Motte

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
The Rofft; Rofft Mount; The Rofts; Marford; Hoseley; Hodesley; Bromfield; castellum de Bromfeld

In the community of Gresford.
In the historic county of Flintshire.
Modern authority of Wrexham.
Preserved county of Clwyd.

OS Map Grid Reference: SJ35725623
Latitude 53.10004° Longitude -2.96133°

Roft Motte has been described as a certain Timber Castle, and also as a probable Palace.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

RCAHM described the motte as 3.8m high with a summit 20m in diameter. Possibly the castrum de Glynn of the 1391 survey of Bromfield. Possibly destroyed during rebellion of Madog ap Llewleyn 1294-5. Possibly mentioned in Domesday book and Pipe Rolls of 1160-61 (Pratt, 1984 p. 4) Roft Mount, rose 18ft above the surrounding ground level with a dry moat. Iron Age promontory fort used as outer bailey. Possibly site of the court of Osbern Fitztesso (1086). Site badly damaged March 1140. Rebuilt to become llys of Madog ap Maredudd (d. 1160). Fell into disrepair in C13. Manor house constructed in bailey by 1315 (Pratt, 1992, p. 33-5). (Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust HER)

Comments

Site damaged by railway and quarrying (King writes destroyed in 1952). Mentioned in 1161-62 and, if correctly identified as Bromfield, as burnt in 1140. Was motte and bailey on promontory site.

Sources of information, references and further reading

The County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) for this site is/are 101298.

Books
- Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p. 87 (slight)
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 105, 155
  Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 303
  Jones, E.S., 1955, Trevors of Trevalyn
  Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p. 268 online copy
  RCAHMW, 1912, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Flintshire (HMSO) p. 57 no. 167 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Swallow, Rachel, 2016, 'Cheshire Castles of the Irish Sea Cultural Zone' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 173.2 p. 288-341
  Pratt, D., 1992, 'Fourteenth Century Marford And Hoseley: A Mardref In Transition' Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions Vol. 41 p. 25-69
  Pratt, D., 1984, 'Some Sidelights On The Early History Of Gresford Church' Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions Vol. 33 p. 1-25
  Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124
  Price, 1967, Denbighshire Historical Society Transactions Vol. 16 p. 10-20
  Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)
  Palmer, A.N., 1905, 'History of the old parish of Gresford in the counties of Denbigh and Flint' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 60 p. 182-87 online copy
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete, particularly for the major royal castles and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Christie, R.C. (ed), 1887, Annales Cestrienses: Chronicle of the Abbey of S. Werburg, at Chester p. 21 online transcription
  Pipe Rolls 1161-2 (see Pipe Roll Society for references)

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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.

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This record last updated 05/07/2016 08:46:52

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