Monument record 424/1 - Possible medieval seige castle, Glebe Farm

The earthwork remains of a medieval motte castle. The mound is 30 feet high and 50 feet across at the top. There is a ditch 2 metres deep. A bailey may have lain to the north. Scheduled.

{1} Soilmark of a possible bailey formerly on the north side of the motte. A curving feature could be of modern origin.

{2} A flat-topped motte 10m high and surrounded by a ditch up to 2.5m deep x 10m wide.

{3} Possibly small seige castle overlooking the main castle to the east. The motte is about 200 feet in diameter surrounded by a dry moat and it used to have a small half-moon shaped bailey on the north side. It was common practice to launch an assault on a castle from such a small but defensible base. Similar examples survive at Hallaton, Leicestershire and at Coventry. There is a local belief back to the C18th that a siege took place either between the "Romans and Britons" or "Saxons and Danes" and that in the area between the two castles human bones and remains of weapons were found.

{4} The motte stands on the east edge of a prominent ridge with extensive views in all directions, including part of Watling Street. The motte consists of a large circular mound 7.5m high and formerly surrounded by a ditch up to 2m deep. The latter has been damaged. The summit of the mound was once probably flat but a large L-shaped trench has been cut into it. There is little indication of a former bailey. However it is possible that one existed to the north of the motte. The outer edge of the ditch on the north west side runs on as a well-marked scarp and may be the west ditch of a former bailey. Nothing is known of its date or history.

{6} Lilbourne village has been described as a survivor from a pattern of settlements that may originate back into the Iron Age or possibly earlier (Satchell T. 2003). Bearing this in mind little evidence of the prehistoric periods is evident throughout Lilbourne and its immediate environs, although the remains of a possible barrow situated c.300m to the north-east of the site exists and forms part of the medieval castle’s defences.
Standing on the east edge of a prominent ridge c.1km north-east of the site and with extensive views in all directions including part of Watling Street, is a motte and bailey castle, known as Round Hill or Reeves Hill Ground.
Within the castle earthworks conjoined enclosures stretching south-west from the motte have been identified…. And an associated bailey on the north side of the motte.

{9} Plan.

{11} Fieldname: Round Hill/Reeves Hill Ground.

{13} Lilbourne is just a mile east of the Watling Street and about the same distance from Catthorpe, supposed to represent the Roman Tripontium. Near this part of the road are several tumuli, probably sepulchral, but there is one on a high ridge between Lilbourne and the Street road which seems of a different character called "Round Hill", and is a moated mound about 30ft high x 50ft across at the top. This has been flat, but has been trenched so as to present a tricuspid outline. The concentric ditch is very prefect and seems made for defence, but there is no trace of a base court.

{14} The mound is visible on AP's and its ditch has the appearance of widening out to the NE - possibly suggesting a bailey? Nothing can be seen of the smaller tumulus said (by Clark {13}) to be to the SE; rig and furrows extend to the ditch.

{15} The earthworks are of a castle mound, mutilated on top, and to the NNW the remains of its bailey. See annotated 25" survey. No tumulus is to be seen but debris in the plough marks the site of more recent activity, probably post-medieval.

{16} RCHM records traces of a ditch around the base of the motte up to 2m deep, with a bulge of the mound (possibly spoil from the trench on top) projecting into it on the S. side. Air photographs showing a discoloured area, and traces of a possible W. ditch suggest that a bailey may have lain to the N. No finds from the area. [RCHM plan].

{17} Listed by Cathcart King.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP57NE7 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<3> Timmins E.W., 1997, Lilbourne, A brief history, (unchecked) (Website). SNN44073.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.126 site 1 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<5> Dicks S.; Morse D.; Chadwick P., 2011, Heritage Assessment: Rugby Sustainable Urban Extension, p.7 (checked) (Report). SNN109401.

<6> Williams S., 2010, Night Owl Truck Stop, Watling Street, Rugby: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, p.4-5 (checked) (Report). SNN109621.

<7> Lanning K.; Pearson V.; Walker D., 1995, Castles in Northamptonshire: A Resource Pack for Teachers, (unchecked) (Educational Resource Pack). SNN75536.

<8> Petrie, J, 2019, Mottes and 'Ringworks', Wednesday 10th April 2019 (Gazetteer). SNN111445.

<9> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection (Archive). SNN115.

<10> Northamptonshire County Council, 1997, Photographs (Photographs). SNN52350.

<11> 1932, Fieldnames Overlays (general-needs sorting out into OS quarter sheets) (Map). SNN10076.

<12> Morton J., 1712, The Natural History of Northamptonshire, p. 507-8 (Book). SNN10113.

<13> 1878, The Archaeological Journal (35), p. 119 (Journal). SNN15197.

<14> Royal Air Force, 1940s, RAF Vertical Aerial Photographs, 1069/UK/636 4159-60 (10.8.45) (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN105266.

<15> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 BHS 13-MAR-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<16> Royal Air Force, 1940s, RAF Vertical Aerial Photographs, RAF VAP 106G/UK/636 4159-60 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN105266.

<17> Cathcart King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands, p. 316 (Book). SNN112899.

<18> RCHME, Undated, RCHME Inventory: Northamptonshire II (Central), 889768 (Archive). SNN112900.

<19> Historic England, Undated, Lilbourne motte, Photograph: BB76/08381 (Archive). SNN115843.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:55PM