Baile Hill

About

Baile Hill is a man-made earth mound in the Bishophill area of York, England. It is the only remaining feature of the fortification known as the Old Baile. The origins of Baile Hill date back to 1068.

Having seized York in that year, William the Conqueror built a castle on the south side of the city close to the River Ouse. Then, as a response to a rebellion the following year, a second castle was built on the opposite side of the river. There is no clear evidence which of these castles was built first, but it is generally thought to be the one which stood on the site of the later York Castle on the east side of the river, followed by the Old Baile on the west side.

Like its opposite counterpart, the Old Baile was a motte-and-bailey castle. The motte was approximately 40 feet (12 m) high and 180 feet (66 m) in diameter, and was surrounded by a large ditch. A flight of steps led to a wooden structure at the top which was surrounded by a fence, also made of wood.

The bailey lay to the north-west of the motte and was rectangular. Around its perimeter was an earth rampart and an outer ditch. The castle, it is believed, was not in regular use for long.

By the 13th century it was in...