Odell Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Wahull; Odel

In the civil parish of Odell.
In the historic county of Bedfordshire (Modern Authority of Bedfordshire, 1974 county of Bedfordshire).

The mutilated earthwork remains of Odell Castle, a motte and bailey with a stone keep was described as a ruin in C16 by Leland. A new residence was built in 1623, using the remains of the keep and was altered in C18 and C19. The present residence was built circa 1962. All remains of the castle have been destroyed by buildings and garden landscaping.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
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 SP966579

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; 346782

• Web site links
  • http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_midlands/153/odellcastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p14
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p6
    Wadmore, Beauchamp, 1920, The Earthworks of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p113-5
    Page, Wm (ed), 1912, 'Parishes: Odell' VCH Bedford Vol3 p73-4 [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42385]
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England Vol1 p141
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p279
    Lysons, D. and S., 1806, Magna Britannia Vol1 p122
• Journal Articles
  • Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p35-54
    1960, Bulletin of the British Archaeological Association Vol118 p1
    Hussey, 1941, Country Life Vol90 p246 [of little interest]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/buckseng.html#beds2]
    Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p24
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p8