Benniworth Castle

Description

A Constable of Beningwrd' is mentioned in 1216. (King)

The settlement of Benniworth, in the wapentake of Wraggoe, has two entries in the Domesday Survey and one in the Lindsey Survey. The main landholder at the time of Domesday was the Archbishop of York, who held a manor. Godwin had two carucates of land assessed to the geld. There was land for three and a half teams, which Osbern the priest had of the Archbishop. There was a church, one mill and sixty acres of meadow. The second largest landholder was Ivo Taillebois, with two manors. Siward and Turgot had three and a half carucates of land assessed to the geld, and there were 140 acres of meadow. The entry for the Lindsey Survey has the Archbishop of York having two carucates and four bovates held by Richard of Lincoln, and Ranulf Mischin holding three carucates and four bovates (Foster and Longley).
Physical evidence for the medieval settlement is in the form of ridge and furrow and field boundaries north-west of the village. The post-medieval period is represented by earthwork ditches, a mound and a field boundary. (Lincolnshire HER)

There is no obvious site for whatever form of building the constable was responsible although there are remains of rig and furrow. Does this suggest the 'castle' was actually a fairly modest building without much in the way of earthworks? Certainly it seems a large motte and bailey is unlikely. Is it possible the 'constable' was just a steward in a simple house little different from the other village dwellings? Presumably the site has now been built over by one of the few farmsteads in the parish. The given may reference is for the parish church of St Julian which does date to the C12, although it is much rebuilt.