Information for record number MWA1183:
King John's Castle, Kineton

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
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
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.
15 Both motte and bailey show well on lidar imagery. No trace of a second bailey.
16 Aerial photographs of 1945 show Castle Hill almost completely covered in allotments, with the site of the motte itself obscured by trees and scrub. The allotments make it impossible to see any earthwork remains on the Aerial photographs. Modern Aerial photographs of 2001 and 2007 show the south-western half of Castle Hill covered in trees and scrub, with a Modern housing development now occupying the north-eastern half. Ohotos viewes as part of SE Warwks and Cotswolds HLS National Mapping Programme.
17 The town of Kineton was established due to the construction of the Castle in the 13th century, and the town later gained a weekly market and annual fair.
 
Sources
Source No: 14
Source Type: Aerial Photograph
Title: 58/RAF/1235
Author/originator: RAF
Date: 1953
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 17
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Symbols of Status in Medieval Warwickshire (1000-1500)
Author/originator: Hook D
Date: 2014
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 117
   
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: 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: 16
Source Type: Desk Top Study
Title: SE Warwickshire and Cotswolds NMP Project
Author/originator: Josephine Janik
Date: 2010-2012
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: 13
Source Type: Map
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator:
Date:
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:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Plan
Title: OS Card, 35NE5
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 35NE5
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: OS Card 25NE6
Author/originator: Ordnance Survey
Date: 1968
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: 8
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: King John's Castle, Kineton
Author/originator: EH
Date: 1999
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
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: 11
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: King John's Castle: public enquiry
Author/originator: Various
Date: 1972-3
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 15
Source Type: Verbal communication
Title: Pers. Comm.
Author/originator: B Gethin
Date: 2013 onwards
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
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
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
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
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
technique Aerial Photograph Aerial photographs are taken during an aerial survey, which involves looking at the ground from above. It is usually easier to see cropmarks and earthworks when they are viewed from above. Aerial photographs help archaeologists to record what they see and to identify new sites. There are two kinds of aerial photographs; oblique and vertical. back
period Modern The Modern Period, about 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
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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.
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period modern About 1915 AD to the present (the 20th and 21st centuries AD)

In recent years archaeologists have realised the importance of recording modern sites. They do this so that in the future people will be able to look at the remains to help them understand the events to which they are related.
more -> 		back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument MARKET * An open space or covered building in which cattle, goods, etc, are displayed for sale. back
monument ALLOTMENT * A share or portion of land, allotted to a person, often used for growing, vegetables, fruit, etc. back
monument CHURCH * A building used for public Christian worship. Use more specific type where known. back
monument FAIR * A site where a periodical gathering of buyers, sellers and entertainers, meet at a time ordained by charter or statute or by ancient custom. back
monument RAMPART * A protective earthen mound, often the main defence of a fortification. back
monument ARTIFICIAL MOUND * An artificial hill constructed in Tudor gardens, especially, to provide a good view. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument WELL * A shaft or pit dug in the ground over a supply of spring-water. 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 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 ROUND * A small, Iron Age/Romano-British enclosed settlement found in South West England. 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 STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. back
monument MOUND * A natural or artificial elevation of earth or stones, such as the earth heaped upon a grave. Use more specific type where known. back
monument WALL * An enclosing structure composed of bricks, stones or similar materials, laid in courses. Use specific type where known. back
monument TOWN * An assemblage of public and private buildings, larger than a village and having more complete and independent local government. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
monument MOTTE * An artificial steep-sided earthen mound on, or in, which is set the principal tower of a castle. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record