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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Cadbury Heath

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
castri de Cadebir

In the civil parish of Oldland.
In the historic county of Gloucestershire.
Modern Authority of South Gloucestershire.
1974 county of Avon.
Medieval County of Gloucestershire.

OS Map Grid Reference: ST6672
Latitude 51.44596° Longitude -2.49060°

Cadbury Heath has been described as a Palace although is doubtful that it was such.

There are uncertain remains.

Description

In July 1209, 40 marks were paid out of King Johns household to Peter Descudamore and Godfrey of St Martin "towards the works of the Castle of Cadbury". No other reference to the Castle is known, but as Peter and Godfrey appear to have been connected with the south west counties it was presumably either Cadbury in Devonshire or one of the two (four) places of the name in Somerset (HKW). An alternative suggestion that the castle was located at Cadbury Heath, Oldland is noted in Neale (1971). (South Gloucestershire HER)
Comments

The site is general consider to be South Cadbury, Somerset.
D.J.C. King, who dismissed this as 'a very unlikely site for a castle' locates this in grid square ST6672 an area now a suburb of Bristol. King had a military view of castles and it may be that John was building a hunting lodge and this is not an unlikely location for such a building, as it would offer recreation near to Bristol whilst on visit there or while awaiting the right weather conditions before embarking to Ireland. (John visited Ireland in 1210, although embarking from Haverford. He did spend long periods in Bristol though). Cadbury Heath was part of the royal forest of Kingswood.
Barrs Court, at ST65937203, is a large moated site, associated with a deer park, fishponds and 'The forest of Kyngeswodd' (Ellacombe 1881). Was this a rebuilding of an existing site? One previously held by the king?
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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:21:29

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