Penstowe castle

Penstowe castle

Penstowe castle was built to a motte and bailey design, positioned on a knoll and surrounded by steep slopes. Penstowe is unusual in that it has two baileys. The inner bailey contained a hall and other administrative buildings. No building remains have been found in the outer bailey so its function is a bit of a mystery. It's possible that it did once contain buildings but these were wooden and so no trace remains.

The motte would have been accessed by a drawbridge over the ditch to the bailey and topped with a tower (circular stone foundations have been found). Excavations of the motte in 1950 revealed 12th Century pottery so it's thought that the castle may have been built during the 12th Century civil war period known as The Anarchy and that it was destroyed during the reign of Henry II towards the end of the 12th Century.

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