Otley

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Otley Castle is situated at Otley Bottom about Vi mile south-west of the village church. Known locally as ‘The Mount’, the mottc is about 20 feet (6 m) in height, surrounded by a fosse (or ditch) about 1 metre deep. The fosse is not complete on the south-west. This could have been an entrance. A bailey extends to the north surrounded by another fosse up to a stream called 'The Gull’.

The mottc has a circumference of about 197 yards (l8o m). The flat summit indicates that a building stood here, probably a wooden shell keep. The motte would have been surrounded by a wooden palisade of pointed stakes, as would the north bailey. The ditch is filled with waterfront the stream, which was more substantial in medieval times.

A further fosse appears to travel south from the mottc, but the outine has been lost. This could have been another bailey, possibly housing animal paddocks and local workers’ houses. The motte is however not large and would not have been difficult to overcome in the event of an attack.

The castle was probably built as a satellite castle

O. S. LANDRA/VGER MAP

156 Saxtmindhum

GRID REFERENCE

TM203545

O. S. LANDRANCER MAP

156 Samutulham

By Robert Mallet for the de Otley family who were tenant knights of the Honour of Eye. The Mallets were tenants-in-chief, off and on, up to 1106 (see pp. 30-31). Otley was also a useful half-way house between Eye and Dunwich where Mallet had another castle.

My personal belief, based on only instinct and no evidence, is that the castle was only ever partially completed and probably constructed about the same time as Eye, being abandoned when Robert