Worksop Castle Hill

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Wyrkesoppe

In the civil parish of Worksop.
In the historic county of Nottinghamshire (Modern Authority of Nottinghamshire, 1974 county of Nottinghamshire).

PastScape record reads "Alleged medieval castle, consisting of a ditch which cuts off a promontory, upon which is a flat mound. Despite extensive research it has not been possible to confirm the site as a motte, though it could be an adulterine castle." Speight regards this as a certain castle of early C12 date, a strong ringwork, built by William de Lovetot, which had a long life. Leland wrote the Castle was "deane downe and scant knowen wher it was." "The stones of the Castel" he adds, "were fetchid, as sum say, to make the fair lodge in Wyrkesoppe Parke, not yet finished :" but he observes, "I am of opinion that the Chanons had the ruins of the Castil stones to make the closure of their large waulles."

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 SK58307883

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; 318341

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/120/worksopcastle.htm
    http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/white1875/worksop_historyp1.htm
    http://www.thorotonsociety.org.uk/gateway/places/castles/castles1.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p96
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p381
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1906, VCH Nottinghamshire Vol1 p293
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p225
    Holland, j., 1826, The History, Antiquites, and Description of the Town and Parish of Worksop, in the County of Nottingham (Sheffield: Blackwell)
• Journal Articles
  • Speight, Sarah, 1995, 'Four More Early Medieval 'Castles' Sites in Nottinghamshire' Transactions of the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire Vol99 p66-8, 69 [Reconstruction]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p350
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol4 p17