Gains Castle, Ashley

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Church Close; Ashley Gains; Ashley Castle; Esleg'sive

In the civil parish of Ashley.
In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Hampshire, 1974 county of Hampshire).

C13 ringwork and bailey situated on a spur of high ground overlooking the village of Ashley. The bank and external ditch of the ringwork enclose a pentagonal area of 0.55 hectares. The bank varies in size from 6m wide and 1.5m high on the west side of the enclosure to over 13m wide and 3m high on the east. The ditch, which has been infilled on the west side by the construction of a road, also varies in size, from 5m wide and 1.5m deep on the north and south sides to over 8m wide and 2m deep on the east. In the north east corner of the bailey are the substantial flint footings of walls. These may represent the remains of a hall referred to in a documentary record of 1250. Historical documentation records that in 1200 William Briwere, the holder of the Manor of Ashley, was given a licence to fortify, or re-fortify, his castle. Excavated in 1913. Village was possibly enclosed within the outer bailey of the castle.

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1200.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU384308

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; 227666

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 25097

• Web site links
  • http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v09p009e06.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p32
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p93 [slight]
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p6
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p189
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p180
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Williams-Freeman, J.P.,1915, An Introduction to Field Archaeology as Illustrated by Hampshire (London) p227-9, 348-9 and plan
• Journal Articles
  • Hughes, Michael, 1989, 'Hampshire Castles and the Landscape 1066-1216' Landscape History Vol2 p27-60
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Rotuli Chartarum, 1199-1216 (Hardy, T.D. ed., 1837, Record Commission), 70