What is recorded here

Cotherstone Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey fortification in Teesdale, County Durham, built during the late eleventh or early twelfth century. A substantial earthen mound still rises above the valley floor, ringed by old defensive ditches and faint traces of a bailey enclosure. The Balliol family likely controlled this remote corner of their lordship before abandoning the residence, denying later builders the chance to replace temporary wood with permanent stone. The castle never became a town or a landmark chateau; it became a shape in the land, recording the speed with which Norman power moved north and the emptiness that returned when its occupants left.

The National Heritage List for England records Cotherstone Castle as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Cotherstone Castle was built in the 12th century by the de Cotherstone family, a local landholding family in the area. It is remembered as an example of a Norman motte-and-bailey castle and is significant for its historical role in the medieval landscape of northern England.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.