Allesley Castle is a former

motte and bailey A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy ...

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

Allesley Allesley () is a suburban village and civil parish in the City of Coventry metropolitan borough, West Midlands, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west-northwest of Coventry city centre and 4 miles (6.5 km) east-south-east of Meriden. Located in ...

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

. The mound has never been excavated. All that remains of the castle is a large mound - the

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or Bailey (castle), bailey, surrounded by a protective Rampart (fortificati ...

- and a defensive ditch approximately in diameter. The ditch contains several concrete blocks which are thought to be bases for bridges over the motte. The site is a scheduled historical monument.Heritage Gateway: Allesley Castle
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History

There is limited documentary evidence for the history of Allesley Castle. It may have been constructed in the 11th century or around 1140 during the Anarchy. An alternative view is that it was built in the 14th century by Lord Hastings, who also built a fortification at Fillongley, approximately seven miles away. The site was recorded as being in decay by 1387. It was later seized from the estate of Robert Fitch in 1588, and by around 1650, was likely in ruins. According to Historic England, the site has archaeological potential, with the possibility of revealing further information about the castle's construction and historical use.

Heritage status and conservation

The site was designated as a scheduled monument on 30 September 1954. Historic England lists its condition as “generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems” and includes it on the

Heritage at Risk Register An annual ''Heritage at Risk Register'' is published by Historic England. The survey is used by national and local government, a wide range of individuals and heritage groups to establish the extent of risk and to help assess priorities for acti ...

due to erosion, vegetation growth, and litter. The monument remains unexcavated but is considered to have high archaeological potential.

Context

Allesley Park originated as a deer park in the 13th century, created by Henry de Hastings. It has since been converted into a public park operated by

Coventry City Council Coventry City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the city of Coventry in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Coventry has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasi ...

, with walking paths encircling the motte. Nearby heritage assets include Stone House, Allesley, a mid-16th-century sandstone farmhouse designated Grade II*, which may stand on the site of the castle's former gatehouse, and the Grade II-listed stable block near Allesley Hall.

Significance

Allesley Castle is one of approximately 100-150 motte-only castles recorded in England, a smaller group within the wider category of over 600 motte and motte-and-bailey sites. According to Historic England, these castles are significant for understanding Norman feudal control and early medieval defensive practices following the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. Although unexcavated, Allesley Castle is thought to preserve evidence relating to its construction, occupation, abandonment, and role within the broader medieval landscape. The motte’s survival within a former deer park illustrates how medieval defensive sites could evolve over time into aristocratic estates and later public spaces. The motte remains a prominent landscape feature and may have served both defensive and symbolic purposes.

Decline and ownership

By 1387, a survey of the manor described buildings “within” or “beyond the bounds” of the castle site as ruinous, including a chapel and dovecote-possibly associated with the surrounding manorial complex. By circa 1650, no medieval stone structures were evident, suggesting they had been dismantled or collapsed. The estate later passed to the

Earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom which has been created four times in English history. The name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation came in 1088, and the title was held b ...

, then was sold in 1663 to Thomas Flynt, who built a house likely near the motte. Flynt Avenue in Allesley is named after him. Ownership subsequently passed to Martha Flynt, Henry Neale (in 1692), the Vansittart family, the Woodcock family of Coventry, Fred Twist, and by 1936 to Harold Twist.

References