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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Bishops Moat

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Castell Hithoet; Castlewright; Castel Wrygh; Castell Vrych; Castle Wrighe; Castell Wrich; Castel Wrigge; Castell Ruht; Castell Rhudd

In the community of Churchstoke.
In the historic county of Montgomeryshire.
Modern authority of Powys.
Preserved county of Powys.

OS Map Grid Reference: SO29108962
Latitude 52.49981° Longitude -3.04648°

Bishops Moat has been described as a certain Timber Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
Description

Bishop's Moat is a ditched motte, 37m in diameter and 5.5m high, with a summit 12m in diameter, indented into a bean-shaped bailey, c.78.5m by 54m, defined by a bank, or scarps, with indications of a ditch. (Coflein)

Oval shaped enclosure. motte base diameter 37.0m. height 5.5m. summit diameter 12m. ditch 10.0m width 3.0m depth. bank enclosing bailey approx 12m width. 1.7m high. orig entrance E. Surrounding ditch is best preserved on SW and NE where it is 8m wide and 1m deep (Cadw, 1988). Butting on to the bailey bank on the N side is a small circular banked feature 10m diameter E-W and 8m N-S overall. The bank is a maximum of 0.5m high and 1.7m wide. Centrally is a low mound, 1.7m diameter maximum. The function and date of this feature is unknown (Cadw, 2000). (Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust HER)

Stands at a height of 340m overlooking the Powys/Shropshire border. Bishop's Moat is a 6m high motte, 13m across it's top; the motte stands on the west side of a 100m x 65m bailey. The site was founded by the Bishop of Hereford around 1120, and may have been captured by Llywelyn ab Iorwerth in 1233. (Daniel Mersey – this is a reference to Castell Hitheot, actually an unidentified site – see King, Castellarium Anglicanum p. 559-560 for full discussion).
Comments

The castle was in Mainstone parish a parish partly in the hundred of Clun, county Salop, and partly in the hundred and county of Montgomery. The castle is in Wales and has been since boundaries were accurately recorded but because of the peculiar nature of the parish it has often being placed in England. However, at the time it was built, county bounders had a less rigid definition and this is definitely an 'English' (i.e. Norman) castle.
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
Coflein   County HER   Scheduling        
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   Historic Wales   V. O. B.   Geology   LIDAR  
Air Photos > 
Bing Maps   Google Maps   Getmapping   ZoomEarth      
Photos >
CastleFacts   Geograph   Flickr   Panoramio      

Sources of information, references and further reading
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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 04/07/2016 07:23:23
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