Grove Castle Hill

Description

The earthworks at Castle Hill are classified as a hill fort with a later moat (VCH). Piercy describes the site as a 'castle on a mount, which appears to have been surrounded by a double trench ... having the entrance to the south-east,' and called Little Gringley Castle on old county maps. Foundations surrounded by a moat could be traced south-east of this mound. These were probably the stone foundations of a wooden super-structure excavated later (Retford Times, 1933) when green glazed medieval pottery and a coin of Alexander III of Scotland (1249-1286) were found. Comparison with the Kingshaugh earthworks suggests that the Grove earthworks may also represent a hunting lodge. King John is known to have stayed at Gringley in 1207, but this may be Gringley on the Hill (Where there is an even more dubious possible castle site). Castle Hill has been extensively quarried, the former workings now being flooded, no certain indications of early archaeological features could be noted, although early roads, - probably contemporary with the quarrying - can be distinguished on the north shoulder and flank of the hill, the roads themselves enclose small fields. Castle Hill has previously been classified as 'hill-fort', 'moat' and 'Roman Station', none of these could be substantiated. There is no similarity to the moated site at Kingshaugh as previously suggested. (Field Investigators Comments–F1 FDC 27-FEB-62 (PastScape)

Isolated position. The 1887 map shows a rectangular embankment on three sides of the mound, an irregular enclosure to the north and a linear bank, possibly a park pale, connected to these earthworks. This appears to have been a moated site, associated with medieval finds and a medieval park pale and with a castle place name. This may have been a hunting lodge or keepers lodge but that does not exclude it from also having been a small castle although such an identification has to be questionable on the grounds of isolation and since none of the usually authorities have identified it as such.