In 1066, the village we now call Montacute was actually recorded as Bishopston (or Biscopestone in the Domesday Latin). The name change is a direct result of the Norman Conquest.
Why was it called Bishopston?
The name Bishopston ("the Bishop's tun" or farmstead) likely refers to its historical ownership. In the 9th century, the settlement was given to the Church. Specifically, it is believed to be named after Tunbeorht, who served as both the Abbot of Glastonbury and the Bishop of Winchester.
The village had an even older Saxon name, Logworesbeorh (Logor's Hill), before the "Bishopston" name took over in the 800s.
Why did the name change to Montacute?
The switch happened shortly after 1066 for two main reasons:
1. The Castle: William the Conqueror’s half-brother, Robert, Count of Mortain, seized the land and built a castle on the high, pointed hill overlooking the village.
2. The Latin Translation: The Normans called this sharp, conical hill Mons Acutus (Latin for "Sharp Mountain"). In the Domesday Book, the entry reads: "The Count of Mortain himself holds Bishopstone... and there is his castle which is called Montagud."
Over time, the Norman name for the castle—Montacute—supplanted the Saxon name of the village below it. However, the old name didn't vanish entirely; Bishopston survived as the name of a tithing (an administrative area) and remains the name of a street in the village today.
Source . Google Gemini Feb. 2026