List of castles in Cheshire There are 20 castle s in the county of Cheshire in North West England . Cheshire is one of the historic counties of England and its historic boundaries are different from the modern county lines . Some castles that were formerly in Cheshire are now in Greater Manchester . In addition , Warrington Castle is historically a part of Lancashire but is within the current boundaries of Cheshire . Before the Norman conquest of England began in 1066 , defensive sites in England were communal , such as Anglo - Saxon burh s built as a defence against the Danes . Castles were popularised in England by the Normans – although a few sites in the south - east pre - dating the Norman conquest – and were owned by the feudal lords . The primary purpose of a castle was military : to be used as a base of operations and to control the surrounding areas . A castle was considered to be a stamp of authority over the population of an area , and a status symbol . Some would have acted as centres of trade and administration for a manor . Castles can take several forms . The most common is the motte - and - bailey which consists of a motte ( a mound ) – surmounted by a keep or tower – connected to a bailey , an outer enclosure where the barracks and workshops were located . Other types of castle in Cheshire are ringwork s and fortified manor house s . Ringworks are similar to motte - and - bailey castles but lack the motte ; although contemporary with motte - and - baileys , they are an uncommon form of fortification . A ringwork may have been built rather than a motte - and - bailey because the soil was too thin to provide a proper motte or simply because of the preference of the builder . A fortified manor house was the administrative centre of a manor – a division of land in medieval England – and was usually the home of the local lord . Fortified manor houses are considered castles because they often had battlement s or crenellation s . Due to its border with Wales , Cheshire played an important role in defending England against the Welsh . Many castles were built along the border , and 8 of the 20 castles in Cheshire are within of the Welsh border . Castles along the border were constructed when the Norman invasion of Wales was slowed by Welsh opposition ; when conquest was swift , there was less need for fortifications . Compared to north Wales , relatively few castles are found in Cheshire since many , such as Holt Castle , were built on the western side of the River Dee . Most of these castles were motte - and - baileys and were originally of turf and timber construction , although they were sometimes later replaced by stone structures if a long - term castle was needed . Away from the borders , baronial castles were built in Cheshire and were a status symbol . The castles in Cheshire were built over a period of several centuries , with the earliest in 1070 and the latest in the 15th century . Most , 12 out of 20 , were built between 1070 and the end of the 12th century . Of the three castles in Cheshire known to have been built after the 13th century , they are either tower houses or fortified manor houses ; this type of structure was more important as a feudal residence than a military structure and reflects the national trend of castles after the 13th century being used as a symbol of authority rather than primarily military . Most of the castles are in a ruinous state , having been abandoned after they fulfilled their military purpose . The remains are often protected by law : 11 sites are Scheduled Monuments , and 5 are listed buildings . A Scheduled Ancient Monument is a " nationally important " archaeological site or historic building , given protection against unauthorised change . As well as the 20 known castles in Cheshire , historian Mike Salter in his 2001 gazetteer of the castles in Cheshire and Lancashire lists Mud Hill in Coddington ( ) and Peel Hall near Manley ( ) as possible sites of castles . Alternative names . Some of the castles in the list have more than one name . Where this is the case , the alternative names are listed here .