Bedfordshire Castles
Bedfordshire is not blessed with an abundance of castles. Many of those that survive are little more than mounds covered with turf and softened by the passage of centuries. Some, like Bedford Castle, live on as much in the names of surrounding streets as in blocks of stone that we can view today.
Bedford Castle, little more than an unrecognizable mound today, was first built as a motte in the 11th century, and later a shell keep was added, to be followed by a round tower with curtain walls. The castle acted as an important administrative centre, and several Sheriffs of Buckinghamshire - yes, Buckinghamshire, not Bedfordshire - used it as their official seat.
Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
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A rare ringwork and bailey castle, there is little to see beyond minor earthworks. The location of the castle was not discovered until 1954 when aerial photography revealed the outline of the earthworks. Excavations were undertaken in the 1960s, but the site has since regrown.
Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, England
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Heritage Highlight: Unusual ringwork and bailey design
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Cainhoe Castle consists of the remains of a late 11th or early 12th-century motte and bailey fortification with three baileys. As far as we know, the castle was occupied until the Black Death, which seems to have decimated the population of the castle and nearby village of Cainhoe.
Clophill, Bedfordshire, England
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Chalgrave Castle consists of the meagre remains of a 12th-century motte and bailey. The site has been the subject of several archaeological excavations in conjunction with the Bedfordshire Archaeology Council.
Chalgrave, Toddington, Bedfordshire, England
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Meppershall Castle was the work of William de Meppershall, a royal official. The castle was never terribly important and had disappeared by the 17th century when the current Meppershall Manor was built on the site. Meppershall Manor remains, but traces of the castle are difficult to see.
Meppershall, Bedfordshire, England
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Very little now remains of this motte and bailey castle, built by Walter Flandrensis, a follower of William the Conqueror. The castle site stands on a rise of ground above the village green, by the church.
High Street, Odell, Bedfordshire, England
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Someries Castle is a ruined 15th-century mansion built by Sir John Wenlock from 1448, on the site of a 13th-century moated manor. Remains include the brick-built gatehouse and chapel, while in the field beside the castle is a 16th/17th-century garden.
Someries Farm, Luton, Bedfordshire, England, LU2 9PL
Attraction Type: Castle - Manor House
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Heritage Highlight: Very early use of brick
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Thurleigh Castle is the rather meagre remains of a Norman motte and bailey. Very little of the castle can be discerned, but the mound of the two-level motte can easily be made out. The castle is also known as Bury Hill Camp and was occupied as early as the Iron Age.
Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England
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Also known as Conger Hill, Toddington Castle is a ruined motte on a rise of ground close to Toddington church. It may have been erected by Sir Paulinus Pegure in the 13th century. Folk tradition says that a witch lies buried within the mound. The mound was used as a rabbit warren during the 16th century.
Toddington, Bedfordshire, England
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Like many of Bedfordshire's castles, Yielden is little more than a mound with a history. The 12th-century motte and bailey castle has long disappeared, though traces of later medieval masonry additions can still be seen today.
Yielden, Bedfordshire, England
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