Birmingham History
Bromwich Castle is a scheduled monument in Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, the remains of a 12th-century motte and bailey castle, largely destroyed by the construction of the M6 motorway, completed in the early 1970s.[1][2] The castle is likely to have been built on the orders of Ansculf de Picquigny, one of the Norman lords who fought with William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, or his son William FitzAnsculf.[3]
Constructed of timber, the castle was never rebuilt in stone. Its relatively small size suggests that it may have been more of a watchtower than a fully fledged castle.[3]
A short stretch of the bailey ditch 18 m (59 ft) in length and 10 m (33 ft) wide was excavated by Birmingham Museum between 1969 and 1971. Their excavations revealed evidence of a timber structure on top of the motte, and 12th to 13th-century buildings inside the bailey, along with a 16th-century house.[2]