Information for record number 1183

   
Summary King John's Castle is a Medieval motte and bailey Castle. It survives as an earthwork, although the bailey is no longer clearly marked. earthworks of ditches and ramparts are also visible. It is situated 600m south west of St Peter's church at Kineton.
   
What Is It?  
Type: Castle, Motte And Bailey
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
   
Where Is It?  
Parish: Kineton
District: Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 32 50
   
Level of Protection National - Scheduled Monument (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
   
Description

 
Source Number  

1 An earthwork locally known as King John's Castle. The earthworks consist of a round conical artificial mound, about 38m in diameter at its base, and with a truncated top measuring about 15m across. The mount had what Gibson describes as a broad deep ditch round it, only traces of which can now be made out. To the N and NW are fragments of ramparts and ditches. That the Castle was never rebuilt in stone suggests that it was disused early.
2 A motte standing on rising ground above a small stream; it has evidently suffered considerably from weather erosion. It is now only about 1.8m high and is covered with large trees. There was a moderate sized bailey which was under cultivation up to a comparatively few years ago and it is no longer clearly marked. Photocopy in FI file.
3 A motte with a ditch to the NE and possible remains of a bailey wall to the N. A slight swelling in the now disused and overgrown allotments is probably the remains of an inner bailey.
5 Quite a fine motte, undamaged, flat-topped about 15 inches high - also the remains of a partly ploughed out bailey (mainly under allotments).
6 The mound is grass covered, the ditch filled with scrub. The bailey bank, though plough damaged, is still clearly visible around the N quadrant and stands c. 50cms high.
7 The whole area of the motte and bailey apart from the top of the motte is covered with trees and undergrowth. There is a trace of a possibly deliberate running downslope on the N-NE side of the motte.
8 Scheduling revised and the area extended.
9 Newpaper report of the Public Enquiry.
10 Correspondence from 1970 relating to the threat of development at the site.
11 Report of the Public Enquiry of 1972.
12 Correspondence from 1996.
13 Large scale map showing the scheduled area.
 
Sources

Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 1, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Doubleday H A & Page W (eds)
Date: 1904
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 1
   
Source No: 10
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: King John's Castle; threat of development at the site
Author/originator: Various
Date: 1970
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 11
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: King John's Castle: public enquiry
Author/originator: Various
Date: 1972-3
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 12
Source Type: Correspondence
Title: King John's Mound, Kineton
Author/originator: British Trust For Conservation Volunteers
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 13
Source Type: Map
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator:
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Serial
Title: TBAS vol 67
Author/originator: Chatwin P B
Date: 1947
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 67
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 25NE6
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Plan
Title: OS Card, 35NE5
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 35NE5
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1959
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1983
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Descriptive Text
Title: King John's Castle.
Author/originator: Baker, H. D. WMEPP
Date: 1987
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Field Survey Form
   
Source No: 8
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1999
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 9
Source Type: Newspaper/Magazine Article
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator: Warwick Advertiser
Date: 1972
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
monument ALLOTMENT * A share or portion of land, allotted to a person, often used for growing, vegetables, fruit, etc. back
monument ARTIFICIAL MOUND * An artificial hill constructed in Tudor gardens, especially, to provide a good view. back
monument BAILEY * The courtyard of a castle, ie. the area enclosed by the rampart or curtain. Use with wider site type where known. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
back
period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
more ->
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monument MOTTE * An artificial steep-sided earthen mound on, or in, which is set the principal tower of a castle. back
monument MOTTE AND BAILEY * An early form of castle consisting of a flat-top steep-sided earthen mound, supporting a wooden tower, and a bailey. back
monument MOUND * An artificial elevation of earth or stones, especially the earth heaped upon a grave. Use more specific type where known. back
source OS Card Ordnance Survey Record Card. Before the 1970s the Ordnance Survey (OS) were responsible for recording archaeological monuments during mapping exercises. This helped the Ordnance Survey to decide which monuments to publish on maps. During these exercises the details of the monuments were written down on record cards. Copies of some of the cards are kept at the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. The responsibility for recording archaeological monuments later passed to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments. back
monument RAMPART * A protective earthen mound, often the main defence of a fortification. back
monument ROUND * A small, Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement found in South West England. back
none Scheduled Monument Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are those archaeological sites which are legally recognised as being of national importance. They can range in date from prehistoric times to the Cold War period. They can take many different forms, including disused buildings or sites surviving as earthworks or cropmarks.

SAMs are protected by law from unlicensed disturbance and metal detecting. Written consent from the Secretary of State must be obtained before any sort of work can begin, including archaeological work such as geophysical survey or archaeological excavation. There are nearly 200 SAMs in Warwickshire.
back
monument STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. back
source TBAS Transactions of the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society is a journal produced by the society annually. It contains articles about archaeological field work that has taken place in Birmingham and Warwickshire in previous years. Copies of the journal are kept by the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record