Botelers Castle, Oversley

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are earthwork remains

NameBotelers Castle, Oversley
Alternative NamesArrow Motte
Historic CountryWarwickshire
Modern AuthorityWarwickshire
1974 AuthorityWarwickshire
Civil ParishAlcester

In 1086 Fulk held the manor of Oversley, but it later passed to Ralph de Boteler, who probably built a castle there making it his principal seat. A steep knoll overlooking the river Arrow is still known locally as 'Boteler's castle'. No sign of buildings on the obvious knoll at Boteler's castle. In the summer of 1934 Mr BW Davis trenched the top and sides of the hill. He discovered a considerable amount of pottery, roofing tiles, slates, but little stone and absolutely no trace of foundations. This suggests that the castle was timber and that no motte was formed as the natural escarpment was deemed sufficient. The ruins seen by Dugdale were probably of a later stone building. A rectangular castle mound in a commanding position with a ditch to the S. There are no indications of a building but coarse Medieval pottery was found over a wide area. The site has been under plough for many years and the mound is spread. There are two parallel banks. These appear to have been outworks of the castle forming two unusual baileys. Excavations in 1992 and 1993 revealed the existence of an attached ditched enclosure possibly a village defence and/or outer bailey. (Warwickshire HER)

Gatehouse Comments

The radiocarbon dating of some bones from an associated cemetery were earlier than expected leading to the conclusion the cemetery was not associated with the castle but equally could be interpreted to mean the castle originated at an earlier date than thought.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP083558
Latitude52.201099395752
Longitude-1.8789199590683
Eastings408370
Northings255880
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Oliver Creighton and Stephen Rippon, 2017, 'Conquest, colonisation and the countryside: archaeology and the mid-11th- to mid-12th-century rural landscape' in Dawn M Hadley and Christopher Dyer, The Archaeology of the 11th Century Continuities and Transformations (Routledge) p. 57-87
  • David Jordan, David Haddon-Reece, and Alex Bayliss (eds), 1994, Radiocardon Dates from samples funded by English Heritage and dated before 1981 (London: English Heritage) p. 3 (HAR-2732 Human bone from associated cemetery dated as 975-1155) online copy
  • Salter, Mike, 1993, Midlands Castles (Birmingham) p. 65
  • Salter, Mike, 1992, Castles and Moated Mansions of Warwickshire (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 14
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 485
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 271 (Gives map ref. to modern Oversley Castle, not Arrow Motte)
  • Salzman, L.F. (ed), 1945, VCH Warwickshire Vol. 3 p. 29 online transcription
  • Stenton, F.M., 1932, First Century of English Feudalism (Oxford: Clarendon Press) p. 195-6

Antiquarian

  • Dugdale, Wm., 1656, The Antiquities of Warwickshire (Thomas Warren) p. 627 online copy

Journals

  • Creighton, O.H., 2004, ''The Rich Man in his Castle, The Poor Man at His Gate': Castle Baileys and Settlement Patterns in Norman England' Cha^teau Gaillard Vol. 21 p. 25-36
  • Jones, C., Eyre-Morgan, G., Palmer, S. and Palmer, N., 1997, 'Excavations in the outer enclosure of Boteler's Castle, Oversley, Alcester, 1992-3' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol. 101 p. 1-98
  • Chatwin, P.B., 1947-8, 'Castles in Warwickshire' Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol. 67 p. 17-18
  • Chatwin, P.B., 1936, Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society Vol. 60 p. 145-6
  • 193?, Congress of Archaeological Societies in union with The Society of Antiquaries of London. Report of the Research Committee for the year 1934

Primary Sources

  • Dugdale, William (Caley, J., Ellis, H. and Bandinel, B. (eds)), 1817-30 (originally pub. 1655-73), Monasticon Anglicanum (London) Vol. 4 p. 175

Other

  • Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk West Midlands Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 48 online copy
  • Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk West Midlands Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 49 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 48 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 47 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 58 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 West Midlands (London: English Heritage) p. 57 online copy