Rochdale Castle Hill

In the civil parish of Rochdale.
In the historic county of Lancashire (Modern Authority of Rochdale, 1974 county of Greater Manchester).

The motte and bailey, built in the early post-Conquest period, stood on what is now Castle Hill. The mound, 100ft across at the base and flat-topped, stood at the apex of a triangular platform. The bailey to the South was an irregular square, approximately 120ft from North-South by 100ft East to West. It was surrounded by an earth rampart and ditch with a second ditch added to the South and South-East. The castle was abandoned in early C13.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SD89121286

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; 45159

Books

Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Lancashire and Cheshire (Malvern) p38
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p247
Gibson, Leslie Irving, 1977, Lancashire Castles and Towers (Dalesman Books)
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Gardner, 1908, in Farrer, William and Brownbill, J. (eds), VCH Lancaster Vol2 p538

Journal Articles

Fishwick, H., 1901, 'The Old Castles of Lancashire.' Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society Vol19 p46-8

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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