Worcester Castle

The castle was built in the 1060’s by the Normans as part of the suppression of the English city. It was an earth and timber fortress, with an oval enclosure or bailey defended by a ditch and rampart, and a great earth mound or motte with a tower on its summit. The castle was later strengthened with stone walls.

When first built it cut through part of the cathedral priory cemetery, but in 1217 the cathedral was given its land back. So by 1250 the northern half of the castle had disappeared; the motte tower remained, while buildings in the bailey were used as a prison.

The great earth motte was levelled between c.1820-1840, and the castle site is now occupied by the King's School. Severn Street still follows the line of the castle ditch. This was formerly filled by the water of the Frog Brook, which drove a watermill, the Frog Mill.

The photograph shows the remains of Worcester Castle. Its northern half has been reclaimed by the cathedral priory, whose boat dock (on the site of the later water gate) marks the point where the castle's north ditch ran into the river.