Almeley Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Almley; Almeleia

In the civil parish of Almeley.
In the historic county of Herefordshire (Modern Authority of Herefordshire, 1974 county of Hereford and Worcester).

Remains of a Motte and bailey, extant by 1216 . The motte is 35m in diameter and 8m high. The ditch is from 1.3m deep on the south side to 2.5m deep on the north side below the bailey, and is 8m in width. The bailey is some 50m square and is bounded by a ditch on the east side, 12m in width and 2m in depth. there are also the remains of fishponds.

This site has been described as a;
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 SO33235142

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; 106311

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1703

• Web site links
  • http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/almeley_castle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p12
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p103 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p202
    Wilkinson, Fredrick, 1973, Castles of England (London) p19 [list of minor sites]
    RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol3: north-west p6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p232
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1867, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (Logaston Press, 2002 reprint) p3-5
• Journal Articles
  • Sterling Brown, R., 1988, 'Preliminary Results of Castle Survey' Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol50 p41
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Rev R.H.Warner, 1902-4, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p235-7