What is recorded here

Hugh Lupus built the castle around 1080 on a granite ridge, forcing men to climb past a deep ditch before they could touch the tower. Henry II took it in 1174 after a siege, kept it when other lands returned to the earl, and later ordered it destroyed in 1217. Quarrying has bitten into the motte since then, but the bailey ditch still marks the southern edge of the hill like a line drawn in earth.

The National Heritage List for England records Mountsorrel motte and bailey 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.

Built by the de Warenne family in the late 11th or early 12th century, Mountsorrel motte and bailey castle is important as a well-preserved example of Norman military architecture in England. Its strategic position near Leicester highlights its role in the early medieval control of the region.

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