A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



on the site during the last century, very few remains of it arc now to be 

 traced. The sloping approach to the entrance upon the north side of the 

 present building is upon the last surviving remnant of the earthen mount 

 which formed the keep, while to the west, north, and cast of this, at 

 distances shown on the plan, depressions still mark the lines of the 

 ancient fosses which surrounded the mount and its adjacent bailey. These 

 depressions are mainly the fortunate result of the sinking of the soil since 

 the ditches were filled in, over fifty years ago. Other banks and ditches, 

 ancient and modern, are also discernible, but they have been too much 

 altered in recent times to distinguish them satisfactorily. Though so little 

 elevation is now visible, the site is still called ' The Mount ' ; prior to its 

 destruction, the whole earthwork was for centuries known as ' The 

 Mote Hill.' 



The fortalice was placed in as good a position as the locality afforded, 

 upon what has been described as ' an humble elevation,' barely 30 ft, above sea 

 level, which is the termination of a low ridge running from the north-east to 

 the church. It was some 250 yds. away from the Mersey, which runs on 

 the south ; but it was only just above the flood waters of the river, which in 

 former days used to overspread the Howley marshes far and wide. The 

 summit of the artificial mount (but not the bailey) would overlook its near 

 surroundings, and would, especially, command the old road, now represented 

 by Church Street, across the ford at Latchford. This was a very important 

 highway in ancient days, and up to the end of the fifteenth century, when 

 the bridge was thrown across the river lower down, and traffic diverted. 

 In early days the town of Warrington clustered just below ' The Mote 

 Hill ' and the church, but after the new bridge and road were made, the 

 tide of building set in nearly a mile away to the west. The ford was prob- 

 ably the raison (THre for the placing of the castle in an otherwise not very 

 good position. It was secure in the days of short-range weapons, but when 

 the long-bow came in the bailey would be commanded by the rising 

 ground which overtops it at a distance of 100 yds. on the north, and 

 would be untenable. 



Though little but the ground plan is now traceable upon the site, we 

 are fortunately able to piece together an idea of the former appearance of 

 the earthwork from written references to it made years ago. A first partial 

 excavation of the mount (AA) took place in 1832. It was described at that time 

 as slightly oval in form, with a level summit measuring about 90 ft. across ; 

 another account gives 162 ft. from north-west to south-east, and 129 ft. from 

 north-east to south-east, as the diameter of the top, which would be substan- 

 tially correct for that of the base. Its height was described as 9 ft, only above the 

 surrounding land. Although partially cut into before the year 1 848, when the 

 old Ordnance Survey map was published, the mount is well shown thereon. 

 There are earlier allusions to it by Ormerod in 18 19, by Pennant in 1773, and 

 by Whittaker in 177 1. In 1832 a moat with water in it ran round its base on 

 the south and west sides, while in 1773 this fosse ran all the way round the 

 mount. Of the court or bailey (B), which lay to the north-east of the mount, 

 we can still form some idea by an inspection of the site. Its interior is 

 slightly elevated above the surrounding ground. Notwithstanding that it was 

 partly filled in with earth from the mount and ramparts in 1841, the fosse is 



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