MOTTE AND BAILEY

The motte is a raised earth mound, like a small hill, usually artificial and topped with a wooden or stone structure known as a keep. The earth for the mound would be taken from a ditch, dug around the motte or around the whole castle. The outer surface of the mound could be covered with clay or strengthened with wooden supports. Rarely a castle might have two mottes, such as at Lewes castle.

The bailey is an enclosed courtyard, typically surrounded by a wooden fence and overlooked by the motte. A castle could have more than one bailey, sometimes an inner and an outer, such as at Warkworth castle, where expansion of the castle led to enclosure of a new bailey with a wall. Alternately, the multiple baileys could flank the motte, such as at Windsor castle. Most of the domestic buildings for the castle would be placed in the bailey, including the stable, hall, kitchen, chapel and workshop. Even weapons were stored here for safe keeping.

These forms of defence were initially used by the Normans after their invasion. They were quick and cheap to erect compared to other forms of defence and were also easy to construct. The Keep or lookout on the top of the motte was initially made of wood but over time these were replaced by stone keeps as the wooden ones were obviously prone to fire from attackers. By the end of the Norman era and the beginning of the medieval era the stone castles that most people think of and see today were the common form.

DESCRIPTION OF GOSPORT'S MOTTE AND BAILEY

Constructed by the Normans at the time of the Conquest, this is the oldest known fortification in Gosport. The structure was used to defend a crossing point on the River Alver from invasion.

On the edge of the escarpment is a mound. A wooden stockade would have been built on top of this. At a lower level there would have been an enclosure, extending South East, surrounded by a bank (the Bailey).

 Earthwork remains of a castle mound and bailey. The mound rises 4.5 metres above the bailey, but has been damaged on the south face, possibly by the removal of trees. The bailey is surrounded by a well preserved bank, circa 1 metre wide and rising up to 1.5 metres above the enclosure. On the west the bailey bank rises circa 3 metres above the flood plain of the river Alver. Scheduled.

Location

GOSPORT; GOSPORT; HAMPSHIRE; ENGLAND

Grid ref. OSGB - SU 5843 0011
Grid ref. LL - 001 10 14 W 50 47 49 N

Subject type

EARTHWORK, MOTTE AND BAILEY

Period

MEDIEVAL

Record maintainer

English Heritage, National Monuments Record

Resource Name

English Heritage National Inventory (NMR)

Depositor's Id No.

SU 50 SE 13

Type

Collection

Accessioned

15 Sep, 2004