Snodhill Castle tour as featured on BBC Digging for Britain

You can think of Croft Castle and Wigmore Castle as two good examples, but you might not know that there is a forgotten castle here on your doorstep.

Snodhill Castle, situated near Dorstone in the Golden Valley, is dubbed as the biggest, oldest castle no-one has ever heard of by those exploring its history. 

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BBC programme Digging for Britain has been here, hosted by Alice Roberts, in a part of the programme that was called 'Forgotten Fortresses and Lost Villages'.

It was only in 2021 that discoveries of Stone and Bronze age evidence showed Snodhill was occupied thousands of years before the Normans arrived.

Castle expert Garry Crook leading the tour of the castle (Image: Will Luker) Believed to be a very rare pre-Norman castle built around 1050 to guard Saxon villages such as Dorstone itself and nearby settlements including Peterchurch, Norman Superknight William Fitz Osbern, 1st Earl of Hereford built the castle. He built at least seven castles between Chepstow and Wigmore to keep the Welsh at bay.

The potted history of a castle within the Marches, what is fascinating is the fact that Snodshill is slowly but surely revealing its mysterious secrets.

The rediscovery of a royal chapel plus other digs are trying to find the clues as to what the castle was actually for.

As the Herefordshire-based journalist and writer Quentin Letts wrote: "Were clerks instructed to lift their quills out of the ink and keep its existence classified? Was this remote site a secret base? Or was it a romantic hideaway for royalty?"

What is for certain is excavations have begun in the eastern enclosure behind the castle as well as further excavations on the gatehouse. Summer events in late August will also give members of the public the chance to try out digging for clues.

Archaeology students hard at work (Image: Will Luker) Castle dig tours in mid-summer with castles expert Garry Crook showcase the latest finds that sit within Snodhill's intriguing history.

The tour is extremely interesting to find out some of Snodhill's features - where you will find lots of uneven paths and high burrows. The steps to the high keep and the ruins have no handrails so care was definitely needed.

The best part of the tour is actually seeing the archaeology taking place, the very digs making discoveries.  Exposing features such as a latrine gulley next to the North Tower, the digs have been conducted by students some in their final year and masters including students from the University of Manchester.

Lizzie Summers and Alex Darnbrough are two students working on digs where they are enjoying the variety of work on offer.

Lizzie said: "We have some rather big trenches here and we're also opening up more questions than answers. The site is constantly opening new stories as to what the castle may have been used for.

Archaeology students Alex Darnbrough and Lizzie Summers (Image: Will Luker) Sarah Lewis, trustee at the Snodhill Castle Preservation Trust, was until two years ago working for Historic England on the project, but still has immense passion for the site.

"This is such a rewarding project to be a part of and what is enjoyable is the community coming together to be inspired to reclaim a historic place," she said.

What Sarah says is true. Even the entrance gate you see today was non-existent previously. Access to Snodhill was difficult over the years but now, if you take things safely, you can explore the castle.

Taking in a tour of the castle is a must if you want to unearth the secrets of a forgotten castle.