Moat at Astley Castle

1 The castle is surrounded by a moat with banks 3.3 to 4.9m in height. The bailey is formed of a circle drawn out towards the NE, increasing in diameter in that direction from approximately 59 to 79m. The average width of the present moat is 9.8m, but if it originally spanned the full width between the banks, it would have had a width of double this.
3 The moat is revetted with stone.
4 Photograph.
5 The moat is of high amplitude and well preserved.
6 Astley Castle & associated features (see PRNs 357, 362 and 7224) was Scheduled as an Ancient Monument in April 1994. The moated site has external dimensions of 100m north-west to south-east and up to 115m south-west to north-east. The waterfilled sections of the moat measure approximately 10m wide, and the moat ditches themselves measure up to 20m wide. Access onto the moated island is by means of a bridge across the south-west arm. The moated island measures 60m north-west to south-east and 70m south-west to north-east. The north-east edge of the island slopes upwards from the edge of the moat to form an internal bank. The south-west corner of the moated island is partly occupied by the ruins of Astley Castle.
7 In 1265 Warin de Bassingburn was granted to fortify Astley with crenellations and a moat or ditch. The moat is roughly rectangular, with rounded corners. The moat is of sufficient width and depth to have acted as a true deterrent against all but the most organised and well-equipped enemies of those within the castle.