A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE Robinson's Castles of Herefordshire, showing the remains of a small keep of masonry. Mortimer's Castle. See Much Marcle. Mouse Castle. See Cusop. Much Dewchurch. — This stronghold stands upon low ground 5 J miles south-by-west of Hereford, and though situated between two streams has no natural defence. The entrenchments consist of an inclosure, defended by a shallow moat, the ballast therefrom being thrown inward to form a rampart, the whole work being of no great power. There are traces which appear to be the remains of a moat inclosing a court upon the west, but the whole of the works are in a poor state of preservation. Much Marcle : Mortimer's Castle. — The castle stands upon ground 200 ft. above sea level and about 6 miles north-east of Ross in a position not having the advantage of any natural defence. The entrenchments are in a poor state of preservation, but appear to have consisted of : (i) a mount 20 ft. high above the lowest part of its surrounding fosse, level upon its summit, and measuring 96 ft. by 84 ft.; (2) a lunar-shaped court or bailey upon the east, now occupied by cottages with their gardens, the ditch surrounding the court being only just traceable ; there is now no inner rampart, but the outer banking of the fosse is visible ; (3) an outer court upon the east, the outworks of which upon the northern side are still well marked, but the eastern boundary is cut by a road, only the fosse being left ; this continues north for some distance, as if it were the site of an older road rather than the entrenchment of the castle. Also there are indefinite traces of other inclosures on the north-west, but scarps and ditches are common in the district. Probably masonry was used in the construction of Mortimer's Castle, but has long since disappeared. Orcop Tump. — This earthwork stands upon low land 8i miles south- by-west of Hereford. The position has no natural defence, except the protection afforded by the streams east and south. The entrenchments consist of a mount 24 ft. high above its surrounding moat, with a level summit measuring 60 ft. north to south, and 57 ft. east to west, and a court on the north defended on the east by the natural scarp to the stream, and on the other sides by a moat. Probably this moat and that round the mount were once deeper, and the water from the stream washed round the mount and court. Peterchurch : Snodhill Castle. — The site occupied by this strong- hold, commanding the northern entrance to the Golden Valley (6 miles east- by-south of Hay), must have rendered it of much importance in the days of constant fighting along the Marches. Its stone walls of great strength lasted till the 1 6th century; and fragments remain to this day.^' The earthworks, which with timber stockades constituted the earliest defences, were constructed out of a natural hill from which the land slopes .on all sides, about 180 ft. above the River Dore, half a mile eastward. The mount rises nearly 38 ft. above the terrace at its foot on the north. It has no fosse, proper to itself, save on the east, an arrangement which may " The solid lines in plan show the remains of the masonry which crowned the mount and was continued (down its steep slope and along the rampart of the bailey. 244
