A circular earthwork, formed by a bank and ditch, with a SW entrance. Here Jordan Foliot was licensed to embattle his manor house of Grimston in 1252 (assuming connection with name "Jordan's Castle"). (1)
No earlier date for name than 1826 - may be antiquarian in origin. (2)
Trackway leading to site in wood on hill to N of village - not scheduled. (3)
The central mound is roughly circular with edge slightly higher than the centre. There is a well defined fosse about 6ft deep in most places, but partly filled in on the N side, surrounding the central mound. From the SW side a ridge or vallum runs to the W corner of the field, for about 200yds. The whole site has been drained, but a well defined, but shallow fosse runs from the SW side round to the NE corner of the field and there is a well defined ridge running from that point round to the S side. The ridge and furrow drainage runs parallel to this ridge on the SE and S sides. When probed no signs of stonework were found. There are 2 causeways across the central fosse, one SW and the other SE. That on the SW side coincides with an old track across the earthwork from the farm. There is a row of wooden power posts running E to W across the site, one being planted in the middle of the mound. They carry 3 electric cables. (4)
A ring castle set in permanent pasture on the top and slightly on a SE facing slope in a good defensive situation. The interior is now rig and furrow, and no evidence of a former building could be seen. A hollow way which approaches from the SW appears to be contemporary, but the 2 breaches, one to the N and the other on the E could well be relatively modern. Similar in character to both Hodsock and Kingshaugh, but not as large or as strong as either. (6)
Calls the mound a motte - the earthworks around it are more difficult to define but it looks like a bailey and the rig and furrow runs across it. (8)
This is not a motte, but a ringwork or moat. (9)
Morph: 51.2.1: Unknown Medieval Enclosure. 51.2.2: Unknown Medieval Trackway (11)
The internal dimensions measure approximately 45m east-west and approximately 52m north-west to south-east. A c.9m wide ditch forms the northern and western boundaries of the ringwork. This reduces to c.75m along the eastern and south-eastern sides. During the late 19th century the north, east and south-west sections were filled with farm refuse. The revetments vary in height from 2m to 3m. (12)

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

Sketch, Parish file

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CCX 3216/22

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CCX 3216/25

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CCX 3216/23

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CCX 3216/24

<1> VCH, 1906, Notts, pp 250,304-5 (Published document). SNT1383.

<2> Gover, Mawer & Stenton, 1940, Place Names of Nottinghamshire, p 66 (Published document). SNT670.

<3> Thoroton Society, 1939, TTS, p 15 (Published document). SNT356.

<4> DOE, 1949, AM7 (Unpublished document). SNT56.

<5> Chateau Gaillard eds, 1966, Chateau Gaillard, 111 (Article in serial). SNT551.

<6> Seaman BH, 1974, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1252.

<7> RAF, undated, Air Photos (Aerial photograph). SNT1160.

Other Refs: F21/58/1775 0017-9 02/06/1955

<8> Samuels JR, 1985, AM107 (Unpublished document). SNT1230.

<9> Bishop M, 1987, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT488.

<10> Cox CD, Air photos (Aerial photograph). SNT587.

Other Refs: SF 3216/22-25

<11> RCHME, National Mapping Programme, Notts - Morph Data (Unknown). SNT1470.

<12> Pre-Construct Geophysics, 2005, Earthwork, Fluxgate Gradiometer and Resistivity Surveys: Jordan's Castle, Wellow (Unpublished document). SNT4633.