Snodhill Castle, Peterchurch

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Strate; Castle of Staddle

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

The castle was established in the circa C11, and was extant 1195-6. It consisted of a motte and bailey, and outer enclosure. Belonging to the family of Chandos in C14 and C15, it was noted as ruinous in 1353, but ordered to be held against Glendower in 1403, semi-circular tower which, in part, survives may date from this time. Rubble, ashlar dressings, Keep and curtain wall. Keep polygonal in plan, symmetrical about east/west axis; two C14 circular towers to west entrance, straight jointed to C12 keep wall. Curtain wall survives to south side of bailey to varying heights, probably C12, with semi-circular C14 tower on south side. Keep: south wall survives in part; entrance: south jamb has outer door with springing for 2-centred arch and portcullis slot; inner door jamb with draw bar hole; remnants of window embrasure above; gap between this and rest of surviving wall, west end of which has remnants of first floor window embrasure; basement window at east end with square head, off-set for ground floor, externally a battered plinth. The earthwork remains of the motte and bailey were mapped from aerial photographs. Described as ruinous by Leland.

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 footings remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 153790)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SO32204037

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; 106107

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 1557

• Web site links
  • http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/snodhill.htm
• Books
  • Prior, Stuart, 2006, A Few Well-Positioned Castles: The Norman Art of War (Tempus) p110-164
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p476
    Salter, Mike, 2000, Castles of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Malvern) p60-2
    Shoesmith, Ron, 1996, Castles and Moated Sites of Herefordshire (Logaston Press)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p101
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p210-11, 213
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p299
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    RCHME, 1931, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Vol1: south-west p212-3 [plan]
    Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New York) p
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hereford Vol1 p243-5
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p117
    Robinson, Rev C.J., 1867, The Castles of Herefordshire and Their Lords (Logaston Press, 2002 reprint) p121-3
• Journal Articles
  • Halliwell, P. (ed), 1991, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol56, 43
    1988, Herefordshire Archaeological News Vol48 p14
    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]
    Prosser Powell, 1888, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists’ Field Club p227-9
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p225, 227
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p176