Leeds Castle Hill

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castell Hyll

In the civil parish of Leeds.
In the historic county of Yorkshire West Riding (Modern Authority of Leeds, 1974 county of West Yorkshire).

King writes has been credited with a castle but in mistake for Leeds, Kent. Jean le Patourel writes "site . Survey of 1341 speaks of site of manor within moats, but without buildings. Survey of 1327 values capital messuage." A rough sketch map of 1560 has marked on it 'The ancient manor house of Leeds called Castle Hill' somewhere west of Briggate, north of the River Aire and south of the Headrow. Maurice Paynel, lord of the manor created a new borough around Briggate in 1207. See http://www.leodis.cwc.net/CASTLE.html for unreferenced history of C11 foundation and siege of 1139 and location details. (If this history comes from Mackenzie then this is dubious and is specifically rejected by King as referring to Leeds, Kent). Regardless of any mis-attributed history the other evidence means this must be regarded as a possible motte with bailey both ditched and/or a moated manor house.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SE299333

PastScape number; 51394

Web site links

http://www.leodis.cwc.net/CASTLE.html

Books

King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p533 [reject]
Le Patourel, H.E. Jean, 1973, The Moated Sites of Yorkshire (The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Series 5) p125
Le Patourel, H.E. Jean (ed), 1956, Manor and Borough of Leeds (Thoresby Society No45) p28-9
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p233-4

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Leeds Castle Hill

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SE299333

Sources of information, references and further reading