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 A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE Church

MOATED INCLOSURES WITH STRONGER DEFENSIVE WORKS (Class G) AsHPERTON Castle. — Five miles north-west of Ledbury. This parish, with Stretton Grandison adjoining, formed part of the possessions of the Grandison family in the 13th century, and here we find a moated in- closure, robbed of all masonry, the sole memorial of the ancient feudal stronghold, excepting a few vague traces of trenching and other work near.*^ Breinton. — This small earthwork, standing upon ground about 50 ft. above the River Wye, is situated 2J miles from Hereford. The en- trenchments are not in a perfect state of pre- servation, but evidently consisted of a fosse and rampart ; the fosse is now destroyed on the north-east side. Upon the south-west the steep slope to the river was regarded as sufficient protection, aided no doubt by a strong stockade on the summit. The position near the church may indicate that the work was a manorial or late stronghold, but one of unusual form. There is a slight trace of an entrenchment round the church, but the indications are vague. Bridstow : Wilton Castle. — This moated castle stands on the right bank of the Wye, opposite to the town of Ross, picturesquely hidden by the luxuriant fohage of surrounding trees. The position, though naturally defended to an extent by the river on the south and east, was not strong for an important work ; probably, however, the requisite strength was attained by the use of masonry from the first establishment of the stronghold. There is nothing remaining to indicate early origin, though possibly there was once a circular mount. The existing remains of the castle will be described in another chapter. The Rev. C. J. Robinson gave two views of the buildings.^' Brinsop. — The earthworks situated in the narrow valley between Credenhill and Merryhill, about 5 miles north-west of Hereford, are marked as a ' camp ' in the Ordnance Survey map, and have been claimed to rank among Roman remains, but they appear rather to belong to the manorial period, and to be little more Wilton Castle, Bridstow Breinton Camp "William de Grandison had licence from Edward I in 1292 'to crenellate his mansion at Asperton.' Robinson, Castles ofHerefs. (1866), 6. ^ Castles ofHerefs. (1869), 143. 252