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Ravenstone Castle
In the civil parish of Ravenstone With Snibstone.
In the historic county of Leicestershire (Modern Authority of Leicestershire, 1974 county of Leicestershire).
Vanished. A `castle' at Ravenstone is documented in 1149-53 when, in a Treaty between the Earls of Chester and Leicester, it was agreed to destroy it. Renn locates this at SK411131, which McWhirr and Winter writes belongs to moated site and not this, otherwise unlocated, castle. PastScape record reads "Possible Medieval moat, suggested castle site, and fishponds. A castle is mentioned at Ravenstone between 1148 and 1153. Field investigation in 1972 found only a marshy tract and the fragmentary remains of fishponds. If a ditch for a moat ever existed it must have been mainly dry." Nichols (1804) writes "on the north side of the town stood an ancient castle which was destroyed... in the reign of King Henry II" This location would site the castle at or near the site of Ravenstone Hall (SK401138) which, in my opinion, would be a more likely site.
This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK40051395
PastScape number;
920575, 1391682
Books
- Hartley, R. F., 1984, The Mediaeval Earthworks of North West Leicestershire, A survey (Leicester)
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p256
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Wall, 1907, in Page, Wm, (ed), VCH Leicestershire Vol1 p264
Nichols, J., 1804, The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire Vol2 p2
Journal Articles
- McWhirr, A.D. and Winter, M.J., 1978-79, 'Medieval Castles Additional Information' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol54 p74-75
Cantor, Leonard, 1977-8, 'The Medieval Castles of Leicestershire' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol53 p37
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