Middleton Motte

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Middleton Mount

In the civil parish of Middleton.
In the historic county of Norfolk (Modern Authority of Norfolk, 1974 county of Norfolk).

Motte and bailey castle. The motte is 45m in diameter and 10m high with a platform on the top 9m across. It is encircled by a ditch 8m wide and 2,5m deep. The bailey adjouned the motte on the eastern side and was sub rectangular in shape, 58m by 36m. Overlying the bailey ditch on the south western side where it joins the motte is a latter pond. It is possible that the castle was built soon after the Norman conquest, fragments of pottery recovered during excavations show that it was occupied during the first half of C12. It may be one of the unlicenced castles built during the civil war between Stephen and Maud.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TF66071643

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; 356233

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 3394

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/132/middletoncastle.htm
• Books
  • Cushion, B. and Davison, A., 2003, Earthworks of Norfolk (Dereham: East Anglian Archaeology 104) p172-3 [plan]
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p59
    Liddiard, R., 2000, Landscapes of Lordship (Oxford: BAR 309) p33-5, 82-5
    Wade-Martins, P. (ed), 1999, Norfolk From The Air Vol2 (Norfolk Museums Service) p41
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p160 [mention]
    Rogerson, Andrew, 1994, 'Castles' in Wade-Martins, P, (ed), An Historical Atlas of Norfolk (2edn Norwich; Norfolk Museums) p68-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p307
    Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1962, Buildings of England: North-west and south Norfolk (Penguin) p258
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
• Journal Articles
  • 2001, Norfolk Archaeology Vol43 (3) p645-56