Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Old castle 1710 Map

• Rufus's Castle 1811 OS

Etymology

( ruins of ) , Old castle 1710 Map, Rufus 's Castle 1811 OS , probably a 15th cent , rebuilding of a 12th cent , castle ( RCHM 2252 ) , but ' supposed to have been built by William Rufus' (Hutch3 2811) , although Bettey 1 16 suggests an allusion to Robert , Earl of Gloucester , who was also known as Rufus or the Red Earl and who is said to have taken it in 1142 . It is also ' vulgarly called Bow and Arrow Castle ' on account of its being ' full of small loop-holes ' ( Hutch3 2816 ) , and is mentioned by Leland ( 1 252 ) as ' a castelet or pile not far from [ the ] streate ' , cf. Portland Castle supra .