Simons Castle, Churchstoke (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Symons; Simonds; Symondes; Symonds; Sneth; Snead; Sned; Snet

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

OS Map Grid Reference: SO28599332
Latitude 52.53300° Longitude -3.05430°

Simons Castle, Churchstoke has been described as a certain Timber Castle, and also as a probable Masonry Castle.

There are masonry footings remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

An embanked motte, 40m by c.50m, 4.5m high, with a summit, 22m by 30m, truncated to the SW by quarrying, separated from a bailey platform to the NE, 28m by 15m, by a ditch (Coflein)

Castle situated on rocky knoll. Rock scarped to form motte separated from bailey by ditch. Bailey area 28m to 15.0m. Bounded by natural slopes 5m-10m long 2.0m- 3.5m height. Poss Snead castle recorded 1231 and 1233. Surveyed 1985, topsoil removed from whole of bailey. Rock ditch shown to be natural feature separating two rock outcrops used as motte and bailey. Dumped clay used to shape bailey edge of ditch. Bailey bank formed of dumped clay (Arnold, C J & Huggett, J W, 1985, 43; Youngs, S M, Clark, J and Barry T 1986, 198). Excavation in 1986 demonstrated the leveling of the site with dumped clay. Metalled surface ran into bailey. Large quantities of medieval pottery and coins of C12th and C13th. (Huggett, J W & Arnold, C J, 1986, 56).

Traces of buildings noted in bailey as well as fence lines and footings for bridge. Rock in base of ditch left deliberately to support pier for bridge (Arnold, C J, & Huggett, J W, 1987, 62). Excavation of motte and bailey ditch in 1988. Layout of bailey with timber defences and gateway revealed. Post sockets for bridge across ditch located. Bailey seems to have acted as a bridgehead, only one building located in the bailey and appears temporary or shortlived (Arnold, C J., & Huggett, J W, 1988, 74). Excavations in 1992: burnt building a completed, no floor surfaces found, building interpreted as timber framed. At the northern end of the excavation the burnt remains of a timber building were located c.4 by 3m. Parts of the retaining wall of the rampart were identified. (Arnold, C & Huggett, J 1992). Excavation terminated in 1993 with all excavated surfaces having been reinstated. (Cadw 1998). (Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust HER)

Sources of information, references and further reading

The CADW scheduled monument record number is MG207.
The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s) for this site is/are 94940.
The County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) for this site is/are 199; 5765.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Jeff Thomas's Castles of Wales
  Huggett, J. and Arnold, C., 1998, Symon's Castle
  Abaroth's World
Books
- Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p. 246 (listed)
  Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p. 52
  Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p. 152
  Burnham, H., 1995, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys (Cadw, London)
  Arnold, C.J. and Huggett, J.W., 1992, Symon's Castle (Churchstoke. Powys)
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 295
  RCAHMW, 1911, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p. 24 no. 118 online copy
  Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales online copy
Periodical Articles
- Huggett, Jeremy, 2002-2, 'Symon's Castle' Castle Studies Group Newsletter Vol. 16 p. 40-45
  Huggett, J. and Chen Guo-Yuan, 2000, '3D Interpretative Modelling of Archaeological Sites/ A Computer Reconstruction of a Medieval Timber and Earthwork Castle' Internet Archaeology Vol. 8 online copy
  Arnold, C., 1990, 'Symon's Castle, Churchstoke' Journal of the South West Shropshire Historical and Archaeological Society Vol. 2 p. 8-11
  Arnold, C.J. and Huggett, J.W., 1988, 'Symon's Castle. Church Stoke’ Archaeology in Wales Vol. 28 p. 74
  Arnold, C.J. and Huggett, J.W., 1987, 'Symon's Castle. Churchstoke’ Archaeology in Wales Vol. 27 p. 62
  Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1986, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985’ Medieval Archaeology Vol. 30 p. 198 download copy
  Huggett, J.W. and Arnold, C.J., 1986. ‘Symon's Castle. Churchstoke’ Archaeology in Wales Vol. 26 p. 56
  Arnold, C.J. and Huggett, J.W., 1985. 'Symon's Castle. Churchstoke’ Archaeology in Wales Vol. 25 p. 43
  Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 116 p. 71-132 (survived into C13 without being rebuilt in stone)
  Spurgeon, C.J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 59 p. 36-7, 55-6 online copy
  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
  Lewis, E.A., 1915, 'A survey of the lordship of Halcetor, co. Montgomeryshire' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 37 p. 31-43 online copy
  Jones, M.C. and Lloyd, W.V., 1880, ‘Simons Castle’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 13 169-76 (history only) 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.)
- 1906, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry III (1232-47) Vol. 3 p. 18 online copy
  Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 320

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