A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE 



MOUNDS AND MOUNDS WITH ONE OR MORE 

 ATTACHED COURTS 



(CLASSES D AND E) 



ALTON CASTLE stood upon the summit of a precipitous face of bare 

 cliff rising from the valley of the River Churnet, and is said to have been 

 built by Theobald de Verdun in the reign of Edward II. Its situation on 

 the one side of the valley here with 'The Towers' on the opposite with their 

 wooded slopes and long stretch of prospects in every direction give to this 

 spot a truly beautiful aspect. With a sheer precipice on the north-west and 



SCALE Or FECT 



IOO 200 3OO 



ALTON CASTLE 



south-west sides the only other security called for was to the north-east and 

 south-east, and here a great fosse some 19 yds. in width and 9 yds. in 

 depth cut clear out of the rock, together with the precipitous face of rock on 

 the valley sides, isolates the precincts of the castle from the neighbouring 

 land. The approach from the valley was by a slope on the western side, well 

 commanded from the castle walls, and the entrance was from the fosse near 

 to the south-west corner of the great retaining wall which supported the 

 castle area. It is not easy to define the form of the castle in consequence of 

 the many alterations which have taken place ; but it would appear to have 

 strictly met military exigencies, having generally a long oval outline. 



35o 



