Harbottle : Conclusions And Potential For Further Research

The post medieval township of Harbottle represents the extent of the medieval borough and its associated common. This explains why it excludes the castle site - the most substantial medieval monument in the present village - which instead falls within the township of Peels on the north side of Harbottle.

The township of Peels originated as the demesne of the Umfraville lords, comprising the castle with the adjacent haughs, the park and the manor of Shirmondeden (or Shermington), which was held directly.

Based on the survey of the castle earthworks by the RCHME, it has been plausibly suggested that the castle originated as an Iron Age hillfort, into which a motte was later inserted (probably during the 12th century AD). No excavated material of late prehistoric date has yet been recovered from the site to confirm this hypothesis.

The presence of an Anglian estate centre has been inferred on the basis of placename evidence – the Old English suffix botle is considered to signify 'lord's hall' and is thought to be a relatively early formation, although some doubt regarding its exclusively early occurrence has been raised recently. No archaeological evidence to substantiate the existence of such an Anglian estate centre has been recovered.