Hough on the Hill Castle Hill

Description

Adjoining the school at the east end of the hill is a substantial motte, intact except where the playground has cut into the west side. The diameter of the overgrown top is about 75 ft. On the west side are traces of an earthwork around the church and churchyard, which is of interest since there is extensive late Saxon work in the tower of the church. We are possibly dealing with a pre-conquest earthwork (OS card; Scheduling record).
During a watching brief (2000), a substantial cut feature was identified, located at roughly SK9229 4634. This feature is thought to be part of the bailey ditch, or a later addition to it. (Lincolnshire HER)

This is a motte and bailey situated on a natural mound which is partly bounded by a stream. Modern building has encroached on the north and west sides of the bailey, within which is the Saxon church (F1 BHS 24-NOV-64).
Part of the bailey bank is visible to the SW of the motte, but elsewhere it has been mutilated by later paths, and buildings. Modern features have destroyed any evidence of the NW side of the bailey. At SK 9244 4643, 20.0m east of the motte, there is a pond bay, which may be contemporary with the earthwork. No evidence of a mill site could be found (F2 GJM 28-OCT-76).

The parish church of All Saint's is C11, and possible founded early in the C10, is mentioned in Domesday. It is within the bailey of the castle which suggests the castle originated as a Saxon 'thegnal' burh (the manor was one of many held by Earl Ralph the Constable in Lincolnshire and Norfolk) although the motte will be a Norman addition (although it is based on a natural mound) and the bailey earthworks may well have been enlarged and strengthened by Court Alan of Brittany (overlord of the manor in 1086) or, more probably, Gilbert de Gand (aka Gilbert of Ghent - the tenant).