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Holme Castle, Tewkesbury
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Holm Hill; The Vineyards
In the civil parish of Tewkesbury.
In the historic county of Gloucestershire (Modern Authority of Gloucestershire, 1974 county of Gloucestershire).
Holme castle levelled in 1826, but 'almost vanished' by 1600. Excavations carried out in 1974-5 revealed evidence of a C13 stone-built hall overlying a C12 stone-built hall. Below the latter were the post holes of a possible late Saxon/early Norman timber hall. Buildings associated with C12/C13 century halls include a chapel, dovecote, gatehouse, barns and stables. The site was fortified in 1211. The only visible remains are the medieval fishponds. The remains of a Bronze Age penannular enclosure were also located during excavation. In the Anglo-Norman period Tewkesbury became an important centre of the extensive interests of the Earls of Gloucester, including members of the Clare family. Documentary and archaeological evidence shows that the Earls maintained a residence on Holm Hill in buildings of aristocratic proportions with a high-status material culture in which the military and equestrian featured prominently.
This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO89353205
PastScape number;
115794
Books
- Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Gloucestershire and Bristol (Malvern) p35
Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p356
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p184
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) p1005
Bennett, 1830, History of Tewkesbury (Tewkesbury) p19
Dyde, 1798, History and Antiquities of Tewkesbury (Tewkesbury) p37-8
Spurrier et al, n.d., Descriptive Particulars of Old Houses of Tewkesbury (Tewkesbury) p37-58
Journal Articles
- Hannan, Alan, 1997, 'Tewkesbury and the Earls of Gloucester: Excavations at Holm Hill, 1974-5' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol115 p. 79-231
Kilminster, Guy, 1996, 'Gloucestershire Unpublished Excavations List' Glevensis Vol29 p37
Rawes, B., 1977, 'A Check List of Castles and other Fortified Sites of Medieval Date in Gloucestershire' Glevensis Vol11 p39-41
Hannan, A., 1976, Glevensis Vol10 p10-11
Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1976, ‘Medieval Britain in 1975' Medieval Archaeology Vol20 p184
Hannan, A., 1975, Glevensis Vol9 p9-10
1975, Medieval Archaeology Vol19 p239
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/gloceng.html#gloc45]
Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p192, 193
Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol4 p137
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