Eardisley Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Ardelea; Herdeslege; Erdisley; Erdsley

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

Earthwork remains of a Medieval Motte and Bailey. The motte is about 33yds in diameter at the base, and rises some 14ft above the level of the bailey from which it is not now separated by any ditch. The Moat was partly filled in when field investigated in 1971. Mention in Domesday (1086) as Domus defensabilis. Hogg and King say that 'although survived well into C13 never rebuilt in stone' . However, Shoesmith reports some masonry was found on the motte and SMR reports had shell keep or round tower, curtain walling and other foundations.

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 SO311491

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; 106001

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1073 & 25289

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/eardisly.html
    http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/eardisley.htm
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p476
    Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p27
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p95
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p205
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p226
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol3: north-west p.xxix, 52-3
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p136-7
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p101
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1867, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (Logaston Press, 2002 reprint) p44-8
• Journal Articles
  • Archaeological Research Section Woolhope NFC, 1999, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol70 p1
    Halliwell, P.R. (ed), 1992, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol57 p45
    Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106
    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
    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]
    Hyett Warner, 1902-4, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p256-62, 287
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/hertseng.html#herts8]