Monument record 722/1 - Castle Northwich

<1> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.II p.196 (Book). SCH1389.

Castle Northwich derives its name from “…the site of an antient fortress, commanding the junction of the Dane and the Weever…”. It was located to the right of the Chester road “…in a triangular field of about three acres, bounded on the other side by a small brook. Its present remains consist of two high mounts of unequal height; the highest is nearly circular and about thirty yards in diameter, the lower is of an irregular form, about seventeen yards in diameter...”. It was probably only a small fortification and was no longer in use by the reign of Richard I (1189 to 1199). Ormerod suggests a pre-conquest date.

<2> Thompson, F.H., 1964, A History of Cheshire. Volume Two: Roman Cheshire, p.253 & 258 (Book). SCH2862.

Excavations have shown the mounds to be natural.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ67 SE 2 (Index). SCH2487.

Site is on steeply sloping ground. Unlikely situation for a castle. No trace of mounds. Earthworks shown on OS plans of the area are terraced gardens.

<4> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, no. 260 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<5> Cheshire County Council, 2002, Cheshire Historic Towns Survey: Vale Royal Borough Part 1: Archaeological Assessments, Northwich p.6 (Report). SCH4760.

The area of former Roman settlement on the west bank of the River Weaver formed a separate township known as Northwich Castle and this has been referred to as ‘Castellum’ (Castle) since the twelfth century (see 6). The name ‘Castle’ has led to the assumption over the years that there was a motte and bailey castle located here, and banks and ditches and two mounts of unequal height were recorded by nineteenth century writers, which added weight to this argument (see 7). The site is now too altered and affected by subsidence to be investigated but there are no contemporary references to a castle at Northwich. Instead, it is more likely that ‘Castellum’ arises from the location of the Roman fort in this area. Curzon, for example refers to ‘Castlefields’ in Manchester, which is the site of a Roman fort (see 7).

<6> Dodgson J McN, 1970-2, 1981, The Place-Names of Cheshire, Vol.III p.190 (Book). SCH3228.

<7> Curzon, JB, 1993, The Book of Northwich and District, p.17 (Book). SCH9067.