Betw Hawkswood

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Mouse Castle

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

Possible Medieval ring work or circular enclosure situated between Hawks Wood and Mouse Castle Wood. Field investigations in 1972 found it to comprise a single, continuous bank with a possible entrance on the south side. It had an overall diameter of 24m. The bank was between 6m to 8m in width, and between 0.5m to 1.5m in height externally south to north, and between 1m to 1.5m internally, north to south. The interior was level and marshy, and there was probably some silting up on the lower north side. The gap in the south side appeared to be an original entrance. All traces of a ditch, if ever one existed, had gone.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO24854274

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; 104940

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1231

• Web site links
  • http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/betw_clifford.htm
• Books
  • Prior, Stuart, 2006, A Few Well-Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War (Tempus) p110-164
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    RCHME, 1931, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol1: south-west p42