South Middleton Moor

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Middleton Dean

In the civil parish of Ilderton.
In the historic county of Northumberland (Modern Authority of Northumberland, 1974 county of Northumberland).

Hunter Blair writes "Distinct traces of a mound and bailey castles are to be seen, place at right angles between the Lilburn and a small tributary in a triangle formed before they join. The mound is at the north-west corner with the bailey lying to the north-east. Nothing is known of its history." Long writes ‘Not far from the hall the remains of a Motte and Bailey can be seen.’ King locates at NT998219 writes ‘Identified as ringwork and bailey in 1944’. Rejected by King as a robbed cairn with minor enclosure appended. Mark as 'fort' on OS map. This is the site identified by Jackson as NT92SE53 but is, in fact, NT92SE41. Described by PastScape as an Iron Age promontory fort.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
This site is rejected as a medieval fortification or palace.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NT99782192

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; 3462

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N1753

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N1753
• Books
  • Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p140 [gives wrong NMR number]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p362 [reject]
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p126
• Journal Articles
  • Hunter Blair, C.H., 1944, 'The Early Castles of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol22 p165 [plan]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • 'An Iron Age hillfort at Middleton Dean, Northumberland' English Heritage Archaeological Investigation Report Series AI\4\2004