Brockhurst Castle, Church Stretton

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brocards; Strettondale; Stratton

In the civil parish of Church Stretton.
In the historic county of Shropshire (Modern Authority of Shropshire, 1974 county of Shropshire).

Earthwork baileys of a castle built circa 1154 mentioned 1156-1207, 1212, 1215, as repaired 1235 and extinct by 1255. Alleged outer bailey - probably a lynchet. Excavation revealed C12-C13 pottery and traces of a curtain wall. Fishpond mentioned in 1255 not traced. The inner bailey is 53m by 40m in size, and the middle bailey, 42m by 26m. the ditch separating them is 14m wide and 3m deep; the ditch enclosing them is 8m to 10m wide and 1 to 2m deep. The baileys are 6.5 to 8m above the surrounding ditch.

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 SO44659255

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; 109371

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/brockhst.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern) p27
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p219 [slight]
    Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p7-8
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p423
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p209
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p143
    Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p614
    Wall [after Downham], 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol1 p393
    Cobbold, E.S., 1904, in Campbell-Hyslop and Cobbold (eds), Church Stretton: Some Results of Local Scientific Research (Shrewsbury) Vol3 p83-8
    Anderson, J.C., 1864 (2edn 1972), Shropshire, Its Early History and Antiquities p205
    Eyton, R.W., 1854-60, Antiquities of Shropshire (London) Vol7 p18-23 [history only]
• Journal Articles
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Barker, P.A., 1961-4, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol57 p63-80
    1960, Medieval Archaeology Vol4 p155
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Phillips, 1894, Transactions of the Woolhope Naturalists Club p223-5
    1892, Shropshire Notes and Queries Vol1 p73
    1892, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol4 p302
    1888, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol1 p68,173
    Eyton, E.W., 1887, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol10 p31-2
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/shropseng.html#shrops8]