Castle Pulverbatch

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Purrebech; Pounderback; Pulrebach

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

Castle Pulverbatch was held by Roger Venator in 1086, and was still in existence in 1202, though perhaps derelict by that time. The motte rises some 7.4m above a steep natural slope on its south-east side. A ditch 2.6m deep defends it on the north east and west sides. To the north east of the motte is the inner bailey, partly destroyed by quarrying on the east side. This bailey is defended by a bank which rises some 1.5m above the interior and 4.2m above the outer bailey and is surrounded by a ditch 1.2m deep. To the west of the motte is an outer bailey, defended by a bank up to 1.2m high on the west and a scarp up to 2.2m high on the south

This site has been described as a;
Timber 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 SJ42250217

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; 67801

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/pulverb.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001 (2edn), The Castles and Moated Mansions of Shropshire (Malvern) p31
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p476
    Jackson, M.J.,1988, Castles of Shropshire (Shrewsbury: Shropshire Libraries) p12-13
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p423
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p282
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p288
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Wall [after Downham], 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Shropshire Vol1 p392-3
    Eyton, R.W., 1854-60, Antiquities of Shropshire (London) Vol5 p188
• Journal Articles
  • 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]
    1934-6, Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol48 p14
    Philips, 1897, Transactions of the Caradoc and Severn Field Club Vol2 p40-3
    1897, Shropshire Notes and Queries Vol6 p94-5
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/shropseng.html#shrops7]