Clifford Castle

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

The remains of a Motte and bailey castle, probably constructed between 1067 and 1070, with additional C13 fortifications in stone. The motte is 55m in diameter and 8m in height above the base of the ditches and 5m above natural ground level. It is surmounted by a shell keep the walls of which are 2m in thickness and 8m high. An earthen causeway connects the summit with a large bailey, some 2 acres in area, divided into two parts. Excavations in 1952 and 1953 revealed the outer gatehouse.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 153696)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO243456

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; 104883

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 713

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/clifford.html
    http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/clifford_castle.htm
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/clifford.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p21-2
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p476
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p94
    Remfry, Paul M., 1994, Clifford Castle 1066 to 1299 (SCS Publishing: Worcestershire)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p203
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p209
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    RCHME, 1931, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol1: south-west p39-40, 234
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p148
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p128-9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p234
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p98-100
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p393-7
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p508-10
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1867, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (Logaston Press, 2002 reprint) p25-30
• Journal Articles
  • Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106
    Halliwell, P.R. (ed), 1991, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol56 p28
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p312
    Tonkin, J.W., 1982-4, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club Vol44 p31
    King, D.J.C., 1974, ‘Clifford Castle' The 121st Annual Meeting in South Brecknock, 1974, CAA p36-7
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    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
    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]
    Iron, D., 1955, The Field Vol205 p576-7
    Iron, D., 1952-3, 'Excavations at Clifford Castle' Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club Vol34 p27-8, 82-4
    Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol74 p224-5
    1886-9, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p366-9
    Clark, G.T., 1871, The Builder Vol29 p984-5 [reprinted in MMA]
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1183, Description of Wales [http://www.building-history.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Primary/Gerald.htm]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#herts6]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Parkinson, Mrs Charles G., typewritten sheet