Bledisloe Tump facts for kids

Bledisloe Tump was once a castle located in the village of Awre in Gloucestershire, England. It wasn't a huge stone fortress, but an early type of castle built a very long time ago.

The Story of Bledisloe Tump

The very first castle at Bledisloe Tump was built around the 11th or early 12th century. It was a simple structure made mostly of wood, not stone. The people who built it chose this spot carefully because it was on a natural high point. From here, they could easily see the River Severn below, which was great for keeping watch.

A Mysterious Mound

Later on, a large mound of earth was built on the site. This mound was about 60 feet wide and 7 feet high. Experts believe this might have been an unfinished "motte." A motte was a big earth hill that formed the main part of a "motte-and-bailey" castle. The lord's tower or keep would sit on top of this motte.

Some historians think this mound was built during a chaotic time in England called the Anarchy. This was a period in the 12th century when there was a big fight over who should be king. Many castles were built during this time without official permission.

King Henry II and the Castles

One idea is that King Henry II ordered the castle at Bledisloe Tump to be destroyed. This happened after the Anarchy ended in the 1150s. King Henry II wanted to make sure that only he had the power to build castles. He had many unofficial castles taken down across Gloucestershire and other parts of England. This was part of his plan to bring peace and order back to the country.

Later Uses of the Site

After the castle was gone, the site of Bledisloe Tump was used for important meetings. These were meetings for the local "Hundred" of Bledisloe. A Hundred was an old way of dividing up land in England, like a district. People from the Hundred would meet to discuss local issues and make decisions. Some people even think the large mound was built specifically to be a meeting place!

Much later, a large house called Bledisloe Manor was built on the same spot. Sadly, the old earthworks and remains of the castle were removed during the 1970s. Today, there isn't much left to see of the original Bledisloe Tump castle.