Shobdon Court Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Shobdon Church

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

Probable castle mound which was visible as an earthwork in 1972. It was 148 ft in diameter, with a flat top, rising 10-12 ft above the surrounding ground. It was surrounded by a dry ditch with slight traces of an outer bank and causeway towards the northeast. Field investigations carried out in 1972 found only the mound surviving, the ditch had been filled in. No evidence of a bailey was located. The castle was probably built in the early C12. Excavated in 1988, but too damaged to find evidence of structures.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO39956284

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; 106468

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 559

• Web site links
  • http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/shobdon.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p59
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p210
    RCHME, 1934, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol3: north-west p182 no24
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p229-30
• Journal Articles
  • Halliwell, P. (ed), 1992, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol58 p30
    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