Aldford Castle

Aldford Castle is a motte-and-bailey ruin in the village of Aldford, Cheshire, north-west England. The motte, a grassy mound, sits north of St John’s Church, and the churchyard occupies the former bailey ditch. Its origins lie in the 12th century, when Robert de Alford may have built an earth-and-timber fortification for Henry II. Later records show the castle in the hands of Richard de Alford in the early 13th century. By the mid-1200s it had been rebuilt in stone as a shell keep, designed to guard against Welsh raids. The castle’s triangular shape once enclosed a keep in the north-west corner. All that remains today are fragments of stone curtain walls and strong earthworks. The keep’s site is now a low mound called Blobb Hill, which overlooks the River Dee. The Dee’s tributary stream joins the river at an acute angle five miles east of Chester. Archaeologists recognise the site as a Scheduled Monument, protecting its medieval remains. Visitors find a quiet village setting with clear signs of the castle’s past. The motte offers a modest climb and wide views across the Dee valley. The churchyard wall still traces part of the old bailey line. The surviving earthworks show the castle’s triangular plan and the keep’s former position. The mound at Blobb Hill is the most visible remnant, standing above the riverbank.