Elsdon Mote Hills

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Elsden

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

Medieval motte and bailey castle (Ringwork according to King) surviving as a very well preserved earthwork, built on the site of an Anglian Moot. The Motte is 15m high and 80m in diameter. The motte is surrounded by a strong rampart on the north and east sides, while the west side is protected by steep natural defences. The bailey lies to the north of the motte and is separated from it by a ditch, some 15m wide. The roughly rectangular bailey measures 72m E-W by 48m N-S and is strongly defended on all sides by a massive earthen rampart. Around the whole castle is a shallow ditch. Traces of masonry have been reported on the motte. The castle was probably built by Robert de Umfraville in C11 and was probably the predecessor of the family seat at Harbottle. A Roman inscribed stone was found in the Motte, possibly from the site of Bremenium (Rochester).

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle
Masonry 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 NY93759351

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; 19720

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N9744

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N9744
    http://www.northumberland-national-park.org.uk/VisitorGuide/TimesPast/HistoricVillageAtlas/Elsdon/PictureMotteHillsEarthworksAtElsdon.htm
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p325-30
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p50
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p183
    Jackson, M.J.,1992, Castles of Northumbria (Carlise) p59-60 [plan]
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p7, 37-40
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p332
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p227
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p146
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p97
    Pevsner, N., 1957, The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p146
    Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1940, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol15 p36 and 151
    Headlam, C., 1939. Three Northern Counties of England, 329
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Tomlinson, W.W., 1897, Comprehensive Guide to Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p302-3
    Bateson, Edward (ed), 1895, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol2 p
    Hodgson, J.C., 1827, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt2 Vol1 p97-8
    Hodgson, J. and Laird, F., 1813, Beauties of England and Wales; Northumberland Vol12 p145-6
• Journal Articles
  • Welfare, A., 1995. Northern Archaeology Vol12 p45-50
    Quiney, A., 1976. 'Elsdon' Archaeological Journal Vol133 p173-5, 177, 178 [plan]
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
    St Joseph, J.K., 1950, 'Castles of Northumberalnd from the air' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol28 p8
    Hunter Blair, 1947-9, History of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club Vol31 p42-7
    Hunter Blair, C.H., 1944, 'The Early Castles of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol22 p132-4 [plan]
    Ball, 1923, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol1 p57-60
    1914, Publications of the Surtees Society Vol124 p226
    1897, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Vol8 p70-2
    Arkle, 1879-91, History of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club Vol9 p538-42