Culverhay Castle, Englishcombe

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; English Combe

In the civil parish of Englishcombe.
In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Bath and North East Somerset, 1974 county of Avon).

Medieval ringwork castle comprising motte and elliptical bailey. The ringwork is surounded by a substantial ditch with an outer bank on all but the southern side. To the west is is a smaller enclosure or bailey and within the main enclosure are slight earthwork remains of stone buildings. Excavation in the 1930s revealed the footings of a small circular keep, tentatively dated to the early C13. Salter writes castle may be pre-norman in origin and that the circular foundation are that of a dovecote. Excavated by N J G Pounds in 1938.

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.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST719631

PastScape number; 204528

Books

Prior, Stuart, 2006, A Few Well-Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War (Tempus) p68-109
Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p70
Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p37
Aston, M., Iles, R. (eds), 1989, The Archaeology of Avon p123-4
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p443
Burrow, Edward J., 1924, Ancient Earthworks and Camps of Somerset (Cheltenham and London) p514
Bothamley, 1911, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Somerset Vol2 p118

Journal Articles

Iles, R. and Stacey, M .,1983, in Iles, R., ‘Avon Archaeology 1982' Bristol and Avon Archaeology Vol2 p54
Pounds, N.J.G., 1934-8, Proceedings Bath Field Club p226-30

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Culverhay Castle, Englishcombe

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST719631

Sources of information, references and further reading