Offton Castle

Heritage listing

Details Medieval moated site known as Offton Castle surviving as earthworks and buried remains. PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS The earthworks of the moated site include a wide, water-filled ditch enclosing an almost square area about 57m by 62m, which is raised about 2.4m above the surrounding ground. DESCRIPTION The site lies at about 67m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) on a broad spur projecting north-east from an undulating plateau to the south and west at about 70m AOD. It forms part of the garden to Castle Farm. The moat is water-filled and approximately square. The moat arms vary a little in length, the north measuring about 87.3m, the east 88.5m, the south 87.8m and the west 90.3m. The south-west and north-east corners are slightly acute and the north-west and south-east corners slightly obtuse creating an irregular diamond shaped moat. The moat arms are generally quite uniform widths and the moat island closely reflects this plan. The top of the moat island measures up to 48.5m north-south (above the east arm), by 47.2m east-west (above the north arm). Its surface is generally level with a slight rise to the south and faint scarps suggestive of buried structural remains, though coppice stools and other trees may be responsible for the vague features. Its surface is about 2.5m above the surrounding ground levels, apparently achieved by throwing the material excavated from the moat up onto the island. To the east, south and west the island has steep scarps falling about 4m directly into the moat. They are generally straight and uniform apart from some evidence for historic tree throws. Some fairly large trees are growing on these scarps. The northern side of the island has a long, steep sided, slightly irregular hollow cutting south into the island which probably represents a coll

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.