Lodge Wood Mound, Wigmore

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

Mutilated mound surrounded by ditch discovered on aerial photos. Circular, rises above ditch on N to height of some 1.5m. On S to 1m. Traces of internal bank, mutilated & indistinct. Overall diam of mound 30m, top has diam of 22m. Ditch: 0.8m deep, 2 modern breaks on W, prob to drain it. No evidence of bailey. Could be outwork or siege castle of Wigmore. PastScape records " A circular mound of uncertain date and origin, surrounded by a ditch, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs. Field investigators found the mound to be in bad condition. Its appearance suggests a possible Medieval motte, but was not depicted on Ordnance Survey maps until the 1976. It may be a natural feature." If this isolated mound half way up a steep hillside and with no view of Wigmore Castle is a medieval fortification it is most unusual in it's location which cannot have any strategic value either for an outwork or a siege castle of Wigmore, and is tactically weak.

This site has been described as a;
Siege Work.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
Earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO38596943

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; 106422

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 2539

• Web site links
  • http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/db.php?smr_no=2539
• Books
  • Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)