South Cerney Castle

South Cerney Castle stands in the village of South Cerney in Gloucestershire. It was built in the mid-12th century as a motte-and-bailey castle to protect the village along the river Churn. Today only slight earthworks remain, but they are protected as a scheduled monument. Excavations in the 1930s uncovered a square well and pottery from the 12th, 16th and 17th centuries. Farthings from the reign of Charles I were also found during these digs. Historians have debated the castle’s origins and fate. Bazeley and Kennen identified it as the work of Miles of Gloucester during the Anarchy. King noted that it is often confused with castles in Cerne Abbas and Calne. Renn suggested Ashton Keynes Castle might be the correct site for events recorded in 1139. The castle’s later history remains unknown. Visitors find a quiet grassy mound with shallow earthworks marking the site. The remains are subtle but carry the weight of centuries. The square well and scattered pottery fragments hint at the castle’s past. The setting beside the river Churn adds to the sense of a place once watched over by Norman lords. The scheduled monument status protects the site for future study.