Bronsil Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Bronsill; Bransill; Bransil; Estenore

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

Medieval castle with moat and fishponds, rectangular with corner towers, only part of the gatehouse survives. Disturbed areas on the moat island indicate the remains of stone buildings. The stone castle was built following a grant to Richard Beauchamp of licences to crenellate in 1449 and 1460, possibly on the site of an earlier homestead moat. The moat is visible on aerial photographs. The surviving earthworks including fishponds were surveyed by English Heritage in February 2000. Part of tower collapsed as recently as 1990

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

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1460 Sept 11.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 152434)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO74963718

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; 1397516

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 934

• Web site links
  • http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/bronsil.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p18
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p523
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p94
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p203
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p195
    Pevsner, N., 1963, The Buildings of England: Herefordshire (Harmondsworth) p124
    RCHME, 1932, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol2: east p.xxvi, 74
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p253
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p97
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p507
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1867, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (Logaston Press, 2002 reprint) p17-18
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p113
• Journal Articles
  • Nenk, Beverley S, Margeson, S., 1991, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1990' Medieval Archaeology Vol35 p165
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p228
    1894-5, 'Transactions at Ledbury' Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society Vol19 p12-13
    Piper, 1880, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p228-31
    CBA Group 8: West Midlands newsletter Vol33 p36
    Herefordshire Archaeological newsheet Vol43 p9-11
    Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club Vol44 p31
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Charter Rolls Vol6 p137
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p191
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol4 p133