Hewelsfield Motte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hewelsfield Motte |
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View of Hewelsfield Castle Motte from the north-east
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| Type | Motte castle |
| Location | Hewelsfield, Gloucestershire, UK. |
| OS grid reference | SO 56683 02091 |
| Built | Late 12th century? |
| Official name: Motte Castle 57m south-west of Church of St Mary Magdalene | |
| Designated | 3 April 2012 |
| Reference no. | 1407096 |
The Hewelsfield Motte is a special kind of old castle ruin. It's a big, round mound of earth found in Hewelsfield, Gloucestershire, England. Experts believe it was once a motte from a motte-and-bailey castle, built a long time ago, between 1175 and 1200. People sometimes call it Hewelsfield Castle Tump. This site is very important, so it's protected as a "scheduled monument" since April 3, 2012.
History of Hewelsfield Motte
Long ago, after 1066, the area around Hewelsfield was changed. People living there had to move so that the Royal Forest of Dean could become bigger for hunting. But later, in the 1100s, the village was rebuilt.
The old church in the village, built around 1175 to 1200, gives us clues about the time. We don't know exactly when the motte castle was built. But it was likely around the same time as the church. It might have helped protect the area or settle the countryside.
What Hewelsfield Motte Looks Like
Hewelsfield Motte is about 80 meters (or 87 yards) southwest of St. Mary Magdalene's church. It's located in Hewelsfield, which is part of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England.
There are no stone buildings left on the mound. But you can still see parts of a ditch around its base. Other banks and ditches nearby might mean there was once a "bailey." A bailey was a courtyard next to the motte, often surrounded by a fence or wall.
English Heritage, a group that looks after historic places, has mapped the mound and its features. They did this as part of their Forest of Dean Mapping Project.
You won't find the motte marked on regular Ordnance Survey maps. But you can get a good view of it. Look from a field gate on the corner of Church Road, right across from the church lychgate.
