England · Partial ruin
Cymbeline's Castle
Cymbeline's Castle is the earthwork remains of a motte-and-bailey site northeast of Great Kimble in Buckinghamshire. The monument survives as a large circular motte surrounded on three sides by a ditch with two outer baileys beyond; nearby are other archaeological earthworks. It is a scheduled ancient monument.
Its prime
1300
Today
Partial ruin
As it stood in 1300
What Cymbeline's Castle looked like in its prime.
A broad, circular earthen motte about 42 metres in diameter rises from a shallow surrounding ditch that cuts around three sides; beyond the ditch lie two additional, lower baileys defined by grassy banks. The site sits within mixed deciduous woods, the motte summit a grassy round platform. No standing stone structures remain in the photo; the visible silhouette is defined by rounded earthworks, ditches and the tree-line, with another set of mounds and a moated enclosure visible a short distance to the west.
Its story
The story of Cymbeline's Castle.
Cymbeline's Castle is the remains of a motte-and-bailey castle in woods north-east of Great Kimble in Buckinghamshire: a motte about 42 metres in diameter, encircled on three sides by a ditch, with two further baileys beyond. Pottery of the 13th–15th centuries has been found within the baileys, Iron Age and Romano-British fragments to the east, and a short distance west lie another motte-and-bailey, a moated enclosure and a Roman villa.
The name links the site to the ancient British king Cunobeline (Cymbeline), though the association may be a Victorian invention; a theory that the nearby Kimble villages are also named for him has been discredited, the etymology describing the hill rather than the king. It is said that if one runs around the mound seven times, the devil will appear. The site is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
Step inside
7 places to explore in 1300.
The record describes 7 distinct spots at Cymbeline's Castle — including 4 interiors: summit of the motte, inner bailey interior, outer bailey (secondary) interior and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
Create History
Recreate Cymbeline's Castle with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1300 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
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