Woodhead Castle, Great Casterton

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Woodhead Moat; Wodeheved; Wodheved

In the civil parish of Great Casterton.
In the historic county of Rutland (Modern Authority of Rutland, 1974 county of Leicestershire).

Medieval moated ringwork with attached bailey with outlying fishpond surviving as earthworks. The buildings including a chapel, ruinous in 1543, are visible as building foundations. The moated ringwork measures approximately 90m by 90m with arms 12m wide and 4m deep, except in the north-western corner where the moat has been enlarged. The moat island exhibits an inner bank and stone wall surviving to a height of 1m in the south-east area. The foundations of buildings, including a chapel, are to be seen on the north side of the island. The outer fishpond is thought to be contemporary with the monument.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK997117

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; 325346

Books

Cantor, Leonard, 2003, The Scheduled Ancient Monument of Liecestershire and Rutland (Leicester: Kairos Press) p39
Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern) p99
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p417
Hartley, R. F., 1983, The Mediaeval Earthworks of Rutland, A survey (Leicester)
Page, Wm (ed), 1935, VCH Rutland Vol2 p232, 235
Page, Wm (ed), 1908, VCH Rutland Vol1 p114-5

Journal Articles

Creighton, O.H., 2000, 'The Medieval Castles of Rutland: Field Archaeology and Landscape History' Rutland Record Vol20 p415-24
Creighton, O.H., 1999, 'Early Castles in the Medieval Landscape of Rutland' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol73 p19-33 [plan]
Irons, E.A., 1917, 'Woodhead Castle' Annual Report of the Rutalnd Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol15 p50-51

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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