A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE naturally strong position chosen by those who fixed upon this spot for the construction of a defensive work is at once manifest. A spur, or ridge, descends from the high land on the west, boldly rising on its northern and southern sides and terminating eastward in the knoll on which the church now stands. A broad expanse of low marshy land, formerly under water, protected the ridge on the north, while the narrow valley of a brook helped to guard the southern side. A deep ravine crossed the ridge from north to south cutting off the eastern space, since wholly occupied by the castle. The protection afforded by this ravine was increased by steeply scarping its eastern slope and deepening the hollow. The mount, so conspicuous a feature of the stronghold, was raised upon the eastern verge of the ravine, an oval court, strongly defended, extending eastward of the mount. The court underwent modifications when masonry was introduced, but these and various additions to the work appertain to another chapter of this History. To the left of the entrance way the outer fosse has been widened and its counterscarp provided with a bank, thus forming a dell or hollow, maybe indicating the site of a house or chamber which sheltered the guards at the gate. We have made use of a portion of the late G. T. Clark's careful description of the main features of this stronghold, but cannot agree with him in assigning any of the earthworks to so early a period as A.D. 921.^^ Mr. J. Horace Round °* draws attention to the entry in Domesday, WUklmus comes fecit illud castellum, which proves construction by William Fitz Osbern, in the reign of the Conqueror. There are two lines of entrenchments running down the north-east slope of the hill beyond the confines of the castle, unmentioned by Clark, of uncertain date and purpose, which involved much labour in their construction. These are included in the plan.^^ " Mediaeval Military Archit. (1884), ii, 526. The eventful year a.d. 921 figures largely in the Saxon Chronicle. Two of the incidents mentioned are the building of the burg at Wigingamere and its speedy attack by the Danish army. Clark and other writers assume Wigmore to be the place referred to, but we strongly incline to locate it far away, in the east of England. " Quarterly 'Review, July 1894. ^ There is a paper on Wigmore Castle in the Trans. Woolhope Field Club (188 1-2), which, however, does not include a plan, but gives a reproduction of S. and N. Buck's view of the ruins, published in 1732. 248
