Bucks Earth Heritage Group

Dinton Castle

Grid reference: SP 766 115

Location: Near Stone in west Bucks, close to the turning for Dinton on the A418. Parking for 2 or 3 cars only on the verge.

Interest summary: a local folly built from Portland Limestone with large ammonites as decoration. Archaeologically interesting for its (excavated) Saxon burial ground.

The folly (an imitation of a castle structure) was built in 1769 and was designed to be seen from Dinton Hall. It is an octagonal plan with circular towers east and west. It was two storeys, with the towers reaching to 3 storeys.

The building stones of the folly walls are composed of the locally sourced Portland Formation. They are mainly the Creamy Limestone of the Portland Stone Member. There are also minor sandstone blocks in the structure.

There are several Portlandian ammonites used decoratively within the structure. These are the large species Titanites giganteus, which used to occur fairly commonly in the old quarries of this area.

Large ammonites set into the structure of Dinton Castle