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Astley Castle

Nearest town: Nuneaton

Site type: historic site

Access: Private

Church name: No Data

Diocese: No Data

County: Warwickshire

Country: England

Grid ref: SP31208950

Lost yew site: No

Date visited: 10-Sep-09

Recorded by: Tim Hills

Protection & responsibility: Landmark Trust

Yews recorded at this site: Ancient 4m-5m

Notes: Astley castle is 60m north east of the church. It is surrounded by a moat with banks 10-15ft high. The shell of the castle is being preserved and there are plans to create a number of homes within the old castle. There are many yews associated with the castle grounds, especially around the moat ENE of the castle's east wall. A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 6, 1951 has the following: Astley Castle is situated 60 yds. north-east from the church. It is surrounded by a moat with banks 10–15 ft. in height. The bailey is in the form of a circle drawn out towards the north-east, increasing the diameter in that direction from approximately 60 yds. to 80 yds. The average width of the present moat is 10 yds., but, if it originally spanned the full width between banks, it would have an average width of double that amount. Beside the ruined wall, described above, there is a large, ancient yew-tree, and a line of yews follows the border between the parterre and the yard gateway. Towards the east corner of the parish, close to the Bedworth boundary and the colliery, lies Astley Hall Farm, a late-18th-century house with a fine yew-tree close by.'