History of The Manwarings
Legends say the site was built by marauding Vikings, but it was probably Norman knights who built it in about 1100 to control the lands they had won from the English in 1066.
Many of England’s great castles began life as forts like this, made from earth and timber and only rebuilt in stone when the timbers began to rot.
The Manwarings have a central mound, or motte, encircled by two deep ditches. No traces of buildings have been found, probably because the buildings were of wood and have completely rotted away.
Fragments of stained glass and clay roof tiles have been found nearby, suggesting that the buildings were once quite elaborate.
There have been many stone buildings here, but over the centuries the stone will have been taken away and used elsewhere. The date for the abandonment of the Manwarings is not known, but we could guess at around 1400.
The Manwarings Location
Access to the Manwarings can be gained via the public footpath.