Almeley Castle

Almeley

For many years it has been a mistaken belief that Almeley castle was occupied by William Cantilupe for King John by 8 August 1216. However, nothing could be further from the truth. On that day the king informed William Cantilupe (d.1239) that he had ordered his loyal Marcher barons to take custody of Walter Beauchamp's castle of Almeleg'. As Walter Beauchamp (d.1236) was the lord of Elmley castle in Worcestershire, this is obviously the place meant and not Almeley castle in Herefordshire.

All that can be said of Almeley castle is that Roger Lacy of Weobley was lord of the vill of Almeley in 1086 and that the vill remained a part of their inheritance until the main line died out in 1241. The king stoped at Almeley (Elmel) on 22 September 1231 during the Painscastle campaign and received the homage of Earl Simon Montford (d.1265) there. In 1242 it was recorded as being held as a knight's fee by Roger Picard (d.1248) of Tretower castle under the honour of the Lacys of Weobley and Ludlow. The next recorded fee in the list was that of William Devereux of Lyonshall. This again would suggest an operational castle at both places. Presumably the castle was built by an earlier Picard within the honour of Weobley. The other castle in the parish, Oldcastle Twts, has no known history although it is traditionally the home of Sir John Oldcastle (d.1417).

In style the motte and bailey has some features in common with other Lacy motte and baileys, viz. Llancillo, Longtown, Pont Hendre and Walterstone. Further, it appears to have nothing in common with the major Lacy castles of Ludlow and Weobley, or indeed another mesne castle on their lands, Lyonshall.

Description
The castle is a typical motte and bailey with the motte standing about 20' above the 6' deep ditch bottom with a surface diameter of some 36'. The bailey ditch survives in fine condition apart from where it has been filled to make a graveyard to the north. It was a rectangular structure about 130' north to south by 100' east to west, but there is no trace of any rampart. To the south-west of the castle are the remains of 2 fine fish ponds.

Some 2,000' to the north-west is another motte and bailey site occupying a ridge end site called Oldcastle Twt. This castle has a small pointed motte with perhaps a 30' diameter summit which rises some 18' above its insignificant ditch bottom. The basal diameter of the motte seems to be about 125'. The bailey to the north is roughly rectangular.

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