Cambridge Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle Hill

In the civil parish of Cambridge.
In the historic county of Cambridgeshire (Modern Authority of Cambridgeshire, 1974 county of Cambridgeshire).

C11 Motte remains of important castle overlooking the town. Rebuilt in Stone circa 1272. Refortified during Civil War. Buildings and Civil War works demolished in 1840 and no masonry remains. Excavated in 1956

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 TL44575919

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; 371357

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/154/cambridgecastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p16-17
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p12
    Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
    Taylor, Alison, 1986, Castles of Cambridgeshire (Cambridge)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p39
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p201
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p583-6, 587
    RCHME, 1959, An inventory of historical monuments in the City of Cambridge Vol2 (HMSO) p304-6
    Palmer, W.M., 1976 (original edn 1928), Cambridge Castle (Oleander Press)
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p115-6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p608-9
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p310-12
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p10
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol1 p21-2
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p249
• Journal Articles
  • Anon, 2005, 'Cambridge Castle-Work underway to protect mound' CSG Newsletter Vol7 Issue1 p3
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p308
    Sharp, H.B., 1982-3, 'Stone at Cambridge Castle – an early use of Collyweston stone slate' Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol72 p62-78
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    [Alexander], 1957, Medieval Archaeology Vol1 p156
    Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
    Palmer, W.M., 1925, Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol26 p66-89
    Hope, W.H.St John, 1906, Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol11 p324-46
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol74 p218-9
    Hughes, T.M'Kenny, 1898, Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol9 p348
    Hughes, T.M'Kenny, 1894, Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society Vol8 p173-212
    Clark, G.T., 1875, The Builder Vol33 p232-3
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Speed, John, 1611-12, The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain [http://faculty.oxy.edu/horowitz/home/johnspeed/Cities5.htm]
    William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/norfeng.html#cantab4]