Steers Copse Mound, Bentley

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

Site of a motte and bailey, probably a siege castle. The motte is flat topped, 52m in diameter and 1.8m high, with a ditch 8m wide and 0.5m deep Excavations in 1980 indicated that a v shaped ditch surrounded the motte. Under the motte Roman debris was found which may indicate the site of a building or that there was a Medieval construction which used a nearby villa as a quarry. Suggested as 1147 siege castle of Barley Pound if this was Lidelea.

This site has been described as a;
Siege Work.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU79394627

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; 243764

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 17499

• Web site links
  • http://www.hants.gov.uk/hampshiretreasures/entries/v06p029e07.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p40
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p189
    1983, Archaeology in Hampshire; annual report (Hampshire County Council) p96
    Stamper, P.A., 1981, Archaeology in Hampshire; annual report (Hampshire County Council) p24-5
    Stamper, P.A., 1979, 'Excavations of a Mid-12th Century Siege Castle at Bentley' in Archaeology in Hampshire; annual report (Hampshire County Council) p23
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
• Journal Articles
  • Hughes, Michael, 1989, 'Hampshire Castles and the Landscape 1066-1216' Landscape History Vol2 p27-60
    Stamper, P.A., 1984, ‘Excavations on a mid-twelfth century siege castle at Bentley, Hampshire [motte, ditch, ?undefended bailey, c 1147]’ Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society Vol40 p81-9
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980' Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p200-1
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J. [Stamper, P.A.], 1980, ‘Medieval Britain in 1979' Medieval Archaeology Vol24 p247
    King, D.J.C. and Renn, D.F., 1971, The Antiquaries Journal Vol51 p301-3