A little history of Allesley

[rebbonk]

[dutchman]

Thanks Rebbonk.

I was researching the history of 'Allesley Castle' myself recently and learned that Allesley was probably a Saxon enclave in an area which was mainly an Angle stronghold. Some people claim they can still hear the difference between an Allesley accent and the rest of Coventry!

[NeilsYard]

Thanks Rebbonk.

I was researching the history of 'Allesley Castle' myself recently and learned that Allesley was probably a Saxon enclave in an area which was mainly an Angle stronghold. Some people claim they can still hear the difference between an Allesley accent and the rest of Coventry!

Did you find anything about Allesley Castle Dutchman? I was brought up initially just down the road from what is supposedly the area the castle was situated and used to play in a densely wooded area behind what is now the No.23 terminus to town. The area consisted of a large earthen mound with a obvious 'moated' furrow running all around. Theres no obvious signs of any castle but the building next door which is nowdays used as a nursery and the Allesley Community Centre is a very old and period beamed building. Its in front of the restored Walled garden in Allesley park. Would love to know any history.

[dutchman]

Did you find anything about Allesley Castle Dutchman?

As far as I could ascertain it's just wishful thinking on the part of the locals. To the best of my knowledge no archaeological evidence of a 'castle' of any kind has ever been found. I would love to be proved wrong though.

[NeilsYard]

This is the 'supposed' spot Dutchman:

http://g.co/maps/6ch5z

Just south of Allesley Hall..

You can see the 'ring' of the furrow around the central tree. Would love to know why its there. Allesley Park and Village was a great place to grow up in. This was before the Hall had been developed as a care home. I used to play inside the old Farm buildings that were then derelict and recall sneaking into old parts of the Stables and Hall (The place where they issued the Golf clubs for the municipal course was inside one of the panelled rooms).

[dutchman]

It's a defensive earthwork from the sound of it, 'Castle' being the name given to it by locals. A true castle would have encompassed all of the high ground in that vicinity so as to preclude an attack from any direction.

1> `At Allesley there is ring earthwork, which is pointed out as a castle and
may be another of same kind as Castle Hills, Fillongley.' Dugdale says: `Upon
brow of hill, in Park here at Allesley, do appear some ruins of buildings,
which as inhabitants say, were of a Castle; but in Record I cannot find that
it was ever so termed.' Presumably refers to this earthwork, though today no
trace of building. Earthworks: circular platform c150' across surrounded by
dry ditch 5'-6' deep, soil thrown up on outside forming bank c4' high for
c2/3's of circumference. Whole site thickly covered with large trees,
difficult to observe detail of earthwork.
2> Circular castle mound surrounded by remains of moat with outer rampart to S.
Surface of mound rather uneven, no definite trace of an encircling rampart.
Of ruins, refered to by Dugdale, no remains exist although many small fragmentss of
sandstone scattered on surface of mound. Mound dug into on N and brick
retaining wall constructed. Moat dry. General condition poor, much overgrown.
4> Roughly circular moated site in moderately strong defensive position near crest of
hill, much overgrown, dry ditch 9m-13m wide x 1.2m-1.5m deep.
5> Hall and grounds Adult Ed Centre and golf course. Scheduled area on S side
bounded by modern houses. Littering and some damage to trees on site. NW side
of mound: remains of 13" wall, c. 4' high x 20' long. SW segment of moat:
bases of 3 concrete structures. Moat deeper on S and W sides with water in
places. Hole dug on NW side of mound, c3' x 2'deep.
7> Mound tree covered, E-W ridge and furrow to W of farm on W (slight).
8> The castle mound…is a substantial circular earthwork motte measuring 50m in diameter and surrounded by a 15m wide ditch. There is no documentary evidence as to who built it and when and no archaeological work has ever been carried out at the site. It is likely that it pre-dates the establishment of the [deer] park (MCT2191) and one theory is that it was an illegally built fortification, constructed without permission of the king, dating from the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda in the 1140s. This would have meant that it was perhaps short-lived and therefore explain why it does not appear in documents…Local historians have keenly debated whether or not the Castle Mound was a genuine castle but most agree that the Manor House and home farm of the Lords of the Manor was sited within what later became the park. A survey of the Manor of Allesley conducted in 1387 records what appears to be a manorial complex consisting of several buildings including a chapel which has fallen into disrepair…it is thought that these buildings were situated on or in the vicinity of the Castle Mound as the description of buildings being 'with in' or 'beyond the bounds' suggests the presence of a moat. The survey also records a stone dovecote which may be the predecessor of the one that survives today close to Allesley Hall. The presence of a dovecote confirms that it would have been a residence of someone of significant status, as the keeping of doves was restricted to aristocracy in the medieval period…The Manor House in the park described as ruinous in 1387 is thought to have been rebuilt in the early post-medieval period, as there are several documentary references to it from the 16th and 17th centuries. However, by 1650 the Manor House appears to have fallen on hard times again…By 1663 Allesley Park along with the Lordship of the Manor had been bought by Thomas Flynt who built a new house, which probably stood where the present Allesley Hall now stands.

[Spuffler]

Might even have been Roman - they built a lot of earthwork defended sites, even on the march, and there were certainly Roman settlements around Coventry. Given Coventry's central location, it is likely that the Romans in the early years after their invasion would have wanted to secure it from attack by the indigenous population, probably by simple outstation strong-points, probably linked by signal towers.

So far as Angles v Saxons is concerned, I think that's codswallop! Angles and Saxons, while they may have been tribally diverse, were ethnically the same people. Whilst there are ancient documents relating different tribes coming from different locations, there seems little archaeological evidence that they did so; nor is it supported by linguistic evidence. There is possibly more likelihood of an enclave of Celtic people - the pre-AS indigenous people - in any region, though assimilation into AS society was known to have been more evident in the flat lands of the Midlands and East Anglia.

Another point to remember is that if the Angles truly came from Schleswig-Holstein, they would have been both linguistically and ethnically the same as the later Danish invaders. (It is known that Anglo-Saxons and Danes understood each other) Logically, therefore, any differences between Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Danes would have been subtle, and I think this would support - if there is anything to support - a Celtic enclave, rather than an enclave of Angles in a Saxon area. Incidentally, the Mercian Royal line was reputed to have been of Angle tribal origin.

Perhaps this is Allesleyians trying to claim to be superior to the other inhabitants of Coventry!

[dutchman]

MYSTERY surrounds the site of Allesley Castle

There is no documentary evidence as to who built it and when, and no archaeological work has ever been carried out.

However, it is likely it predates the establishment of the 13th century deer park which later became Allesley Park.

One theory is it was an illegally built fortification, constructed without the permission of the king during the civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda in the 1140s.

This would have meant that it was short-lived and therefore explain why it does not appear in documents.

However, the presence of a dovecote suggests it would have been the residence of someone of significant status, as the keeping of doves was restricted to the aristocracy in the medieval period.