Dunham Massey

In the civil parish of Dunham Massey.
In the historic county of Cheshire (Modern Authority of Trafford, 1974 county of Greater Manchester).

Medieval motte and bailey in Dunham Park. It was held by Hamo de Masci against Henry II in 1173. Surviving features include a moat and mount at the north-west corner of Dunham Massey Hall. The mount survives to a height of 2m and has a diameter of 24m. The moat has been flooded as an ornamental lake; the Hall probably occupies the bailey.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ73428742

PastScape number; 74896

Books

Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles and Tower Houses of Lancashire and Cheshire (Malvern) p17
Cullen, P.W. and Hordern, R., 1986, Castles of Cheshire (Crossbow Books) p12
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p67
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p223
Ridgway, Maurice Hill, 1958, 'Medieval Castles' in Sylvester, D. and Nulty, G. (eds), The Historical Atlas of Cheshire (Cheshire Community Council) p24-5
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p171
Ormerod, G., 1882 [2edn], History of the County Palatine and city of Chester (London) Vol1 p533

Journal Articles

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]
1925, Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society Vol42 p53-60

Guidebooks

Dunham Massey Hall Guide Book (National Trust)

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Dunham Massey

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ73428742

Sources of information, references and further reading