Pleshey Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; The Mount; Plaisy; Pleasing; Tumblestoun; Castel de Placeto

In the civil parish of Pleshey.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

Very large motte and bailey was once a strong masonry castle but now complete robbed of stone. Built by the Mandevilles, probably in the C12, and later passed into the hands of the Duke of Gloucester. It fell into ruins after the Duke was put to death by Richard II in 1397. The C15 brick bridge framing the appoach to the castle is Grade I listed. A licence to refortify the castle, was issued between 1166 and 1180. Not, in a meaningful sense, a licence to crenellate although has been called this by some.

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

A supposed Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1166-1180.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 426332)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL66531437

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; 376145

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1127, 1138, 1126

• Web site links
  • http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/
• Books
  • Neville, David, 2003, Lost Castles of Essex (Ian Henry) p28-39
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p38
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p75-6 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford)
    Colin Platt, 1984, Medieval Britain from the air p24-5
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p146
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p276
    Williams, Frances, 1977 Pleshey Castle, Essex (XII-XVI Century): Excavations in the Bailey, 1959-1963 (Oxford: BAR British Series 42)
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p781 [C15 only]
    Rahtz, 1960, Pleshey Castle First Interim Report (Colchester)
    RCHME, 1921, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex. Vol2 [central and south-west] p8, 201-2
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Gould, Chalkley, 1903, in Doubleday, Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Essex Vol1 p297-9
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England Vol1 p266-8
    Grose, Francis, 1787, The Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol2 p132-5
• Journal Articles
  • Priddy, Deborah, 1988, 'Pleshey Castle - the northern bailey: excavations at the village hall site, 1987' Essex Archaeology and History Vol100 p15-16
    Youngs, S.M. et al, 1988 ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1987' Medieval Archaeology Vol32 p241
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p319
    Youngs, S.M., Clark, J. and Barry, T., 1986, ‘Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1985' Medieval Archaeology Vol30 p134
    1986, Essex Archaeology and History Vol17 p148
    1982, Essex Archaeology and History Vol80 p17-22
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1982, ‘Medieval Britain in 1981' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p183
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980' Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p200
    Macdonnell, E., 1981 ‘An Englishman’s home: Pleshey Castle, Essex' Country Life, 170 p718-19
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1980, ‘Medieval Britain in 1979' Medieval Archaeology Vol24 p247
    [Bassett] in Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1978, ‘Medieval Britain in 1977' Medieval Archaeology Vol22 p169-70
    Goodall, J.A., 1978, 'Two medieval drawings' Antiquaries Journal Vol58 p159-62
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1977, ‘Medieval Britain in 1976' Medieval Archaeology Vol21 p235
    [Bassett], 1974, Medieval Archaeology Vol18 p196
    [Sellers], 1969, Medieval Archaeology Vol13 p255
    1976, Essex Archaeology and History Vol8 p176
    Rahtz, 1964, Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p252-3
    Rahtz, 1961, Medieval Archaeology Vol5 p316-7
    Rahtz, 1960, Medieval Archaeology Vol4 p145-6
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Christy, 1923, Essex Archaeological Society [new ser] Vol16 p190-204 [excavation of motte]
    Round, 1923, Essex Archaeological Society [new ser] Vol16 p268-72 [history]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • PRO Duchy of Lancaster Miscellanea 10/12
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/essexeng.html#essex13]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p161-2