Monument record HGH 001 - Haughley Castle

Haughley Castle.
Large motte and bailey castle built in late C11 by Hugh de Montfort. Centre of the Honour of Haughley (or Hagenet), sometimes called 'Honor Constabularie' through its connection with the constableship of Dover Castle. Castle seized by Crown in 1163. Captured, after a short seige, and destroyed in 1173 by rebels led by the Earl of Leicester, the keeper then being Ralph de Broc. Castle consists of a high motte astride the projected line of the bank of a quadrilateral bailey (S1).
The motte is 210 feet in diameter at the base, 80 feet high and 80 feet across the flat summit. The bailey to the S of the motte, is 390 feet wide by 300 feet N to S and is surrounded by a deep ditch (wet) and a massive bank rising to a maximum of 16 feet above the surface of the enclosure. The existing entrance to the bailey on the W side appears to be original (S2). There are additional moated enclosures adjoining the W side of the castle and possible traces of a large outer bailey which may have included the church (S3).
Traces of the foundations of a circular keep exist on top of the motte (S4).
1991: Only large mounds, motte and moat remain (S5).
Details about the history of Haughley Castle (S6), including a suggestion that there is a mass grave related to the 1173 seige to the east of the keep in what is called "the Hall Gardens" (but provides no source for this idea).

Features visible on Lidar. See associated files.