Bishopton Castle Hill

Bishopton Castle Hill is a substantial earthwork sat in a saddle between areas of high ground, next to which is a minor watercourse, the Bishopton Beck. It lies immediately to the south of the village of Bishopton within land used for grazing, and is crossed by a public right of way, which does not seem to be used often, presumably due to livestock.

The castle consists of a prominent circular ditched motte, 11 metres high and rounded on the summit, set centrally, with two bailey areas, one to the NNW and one to the SSE. Each of these bailey areas is subdivided by a ditch, and the southern bailey has an external ditch to the south. The northern bailey has a causeway running NNE towards the village, with a smaller curved ditch and bank creating a northern outer bailey area beyond this. A second causeway extends from the central area surrounding the motte to the ENE. The beck, which runs to the western side of the castle, provided water to a 70 metre wide wet moat surrounding the castle, and a breach in the eastern side of the central courtyard may have provided water to the ditch around the motte.

The castle was most likely founded for Roger de Conyers during the reign of King Stephen, and at a time when Durham was dominated by King David of Scotland. At the time the castle was built, King David was attempting to have his Justiciar, William Comyn, installed as Bishop of Durham (he was installed in 1141 but never consecrated), and de Conyers supported the rival candidate, William de St Barbe, who was consecrated in 1143 but unable to enter his see. Roger de Conyers was a Yorkshire knight, and held his lands in County Durham from Bishop Flambard. As St Barbe was from York there was a clear affinity here with a common opponent in King David. St Barbe acvtually stayed at Bishopton Castle for a few days before his consecration. The castle was not the favoured seat of the Conyers family, which was at Sockburn, but it remained their property, held from the bishops, into the early 17th century. Bishopton was referred to as a manor in 1239, so it appears that occupation of the castle as a castle was short-lived, although the site may have been that of the manor – there are the remains of two buildings within the northern bailey, one possibly a great hall 9.5 metres wide by 28 long on the eastern (moat) side, the other less well defined may have been a gatehouse of sorts adjacent to the medial ditch.