Castle Knob

The castle is similar in style to those constructed during the 12th century but does not appear in the historic record until the 14th century so its date of construction is unknown. A 2007 South Derbyshire District Council plaque on the site notes that it pre-dates 1252 when the nearby settlement is first described as "Castelgresele", being named after the castle, but may even have been abandoned by this time. The land was owned by the de Gresley family and Georgian antiquarian Daniel Lysons wrote that they took their name from the settlement. The de Gresleys were descended from Nigel de Stafford (son of Robert de Stafford), who held the area at the time of Domesday in 1086. The family had…

.]] The castle site has commanding views over the River Trent to the north and the River Mease to the south. The castle complex is large and generally well preserved; it is thought to retain a lot of archaeological remains. The castle was of the motte and bailey type with a central motte (keep) enclosed with three associated bailey enclosures. The motte sits on a conical hill around 50 m in diameter at its base and 12 m at the top. The motte stands around 4 m high with a portion, around 5 m in diameter raised still higher and thought to be the location of a tower, since lost. The motte is encircled within a 10 m wide ditch that is currently around 2 m deep. The ditch has been partially…