Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire, near Aylesbury
Cymbeline’s Castle Motte and Bailey
Castle
Place photograph
4.7
Wildland
Under 1 hour
Time
Check
Cost
Atmospheric
Feel
Why it's Wildland
4.7A Norman earthwork stronghold occupies a commanding spur below Beacon Hill, where its preserved mound and enclosure look out over the Vale of Aylesbury.
This is a castle you read in the shape of the land: the motte, bailey, ditches and approach survive as earthworks on a spur at the edge of the Chiltern escarpment. Its historic setting and wide views make it more than a name on a map, though access should be checked before planning a visit.
Atmospheric · Ancient-feeling
Find your way
Open mapEllesborough, Buckinghamshire, near Aylesbury
Opening map…
Know this place a little better?
The experience
A short heritage stop focused on understanding the motte-and-bailey earthworks and their strategic landscape setting. Access is unverified, so confirm that the site can be visited before setting out.
Things to do
Identify the motte and bailey
If access is confirmed, look for the conical mound and adjoining bailey, the two principal elements of this medieval fortification.
Notice the entrance and approach
Historic England identifies an entrance and approach among the site's preserved features. Do not enter unless access is confirmed.
Take in the escarpment-edge setting
The castle stands on a spur below Beacon Hill, in a position recorded as overlooking Ellesborough, Little Kimble and the Vale of Aylesbury.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · Under 1 hour
Read the castle in the landscape
- 01
Check access arrangements before travelling.
- 02
If access is confirmed, identify the motte, bailey, ditches and approach as distinct parts of the earthwork.
- 03
Take in the commanding position on the spur below Beacon Hill and the documented views over the Vale of Aylesbury.
Verified history
Historic England records Cymbeline’s Castle as a scheduled monument: a well-preserved motte-and-bailey castle on a spur below Beacon Hill, on the northern edge of the Chiltern escarpment. Its earthworks include the motte, bailey, entrance and approach. The commanding position overlooked routes along the escarpment edge. The designation entry also notes that buried deposits may preserve evidence of the castle’s use and the landscape around it; that potential is not the same as visible remains a visitor can inspect.
Hidden details
The mound’s recorded dimensions — Historic England records the motte as about 42 metres across and between 6 and 8 metres high relative to the natural slope of the spur. These are monument dimensions, not a visitor route or access description.
A tower’s footprint in the summit — The scheduled monument description says the roughly 15-metre-wide level summit indicates the dimensions of the former timber tower. No timber structure survives above ground in the supplied account.
When to go
· No specific time of day is supported by the supplied evidence.
The available source describes the monument and its landscape position but does not give seasonal visiting advice.
Check local conditions and access before visiting. The source material does not describe path conditions or weather-related restrictions.
What to look for
If access is confirmed, look for the conical motte, the adjoining bailey, the ditches and the recorded entrance and approach. Historic England describes the earthworks as well preserved and notes the site’s position overlooking Ellesborough, Little Kimble and the Vale of Aylesbury.
The story
Archaeology
Best time to go
No season-specific visiting information is available. Check access before travelling.
No best time of day or seasonal viewing information is verified.
How long to spend
Under 1 hour
Perfect for
History lovers · Photographers
Before you go
Address
Listed hours
- Monday: Open 24 hours
- Tuesday: Open 24 hours
- Wednesday: Open 24 hours
- Thursday: Open 24 hours
- Friday: Open 24 hours
- Saturday: Open 24 hours
- Sunday: Open 24 hours
Check before visiting.
Google rating
Practical information
Opening & access
Public access has not been verified. Check access arrangements before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted areas. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
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Parking
Check before visiting; no parking information is available.
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Toilets
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Food & drink
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Dogs
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Accessibility
Terrain and visitor access have not been verified. Check before visiting.
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Cost
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Gallery
Place photographsKeep exploring
Around Cymbeline’s Castle Motte and Bailey
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
