Ballands Castle Explained

Ballands Castle
Location:Penselwood, Somerset
Map Type:Somerset
Map Size:200
Type:Motte and bailey
Coordinates:51.0778°N -2.354°W
Condition:Earthworks remain

Ballands Castle was a castle near the village of Penselwood, Somerset, England.

History

Balland Castle was a motte and bailey castle, probably built after the Norman conquest of England in 1066, near the village of Penselwood in Somerset.[1] The castle sits close to the contemporary Norman castles of Cockroad Wood and Castle Orchard, and may have been built as part of a system of fortifications to control the surrounding area.[1]

The motte of the castle is now around 5 m high, and up to 9 m wide.[2] The bailey lies to the south, and both the motte and the bailey are surrounded by ditches.[3]

Today the castle site is a scheduled monument.

See also

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Creighton, p.62.
  2. Balland's Castle, Penselwood, Somerset County Historic Environmental Record, accessed 18 July 2011.
  3. Creighton, p.62; Balland's Castle, Penselwood, Somerset County Historic Environmental Record, accessed 18 July 2011.