Desborough Castle, High Wycombe

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; West Wycombe

In the civil parish of High Wycombe.
In the historic county of Buckinghamshire (Modern Authority of Buckinghamshire, 1974 county of Buckinghamshire).

Norman ringwork, partly overlying a mound, possibly a barrow reused as a Saxon moot. Both lie within an enclosure, possibly an Iron Age or Late Bronze Age settlement or stock enclosure. The defences of the ringwork enclose an area of 1 acre and consist of a single rampart and ditch with a break in the middle of the south east side. The rampart on the south is 16ft high and 63ft wide and the ditch is 12ft deep and 57ft wide.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU84719332

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 248824

Books

Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p35
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p28
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
RCHME, 1912, An inventory of the historical monuments in Buckinghamshire Vol1 [south] p318
Page, Wm (ed), 1908, VCH Buckinghamshire Vol2 p24
Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p442-3

Journal Articles

Collard, M., 1988, Records of Buckinghamshire Vol18 p15-52
Collard, M., 1988, ‘Desborough Castle, High Wycombe' South Midlands Archaeology Vol18 p28-9
King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
Downs, 1878-86, Records of Buckinghamshire Vol5 p248-60

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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