It says, in Latin:

“Ralph de Mortemer holds Wigmore Castle. Earl William erected it on the waste land which is called MERESTUN, which Gunnfrothr held T.R.E. There are two hides paying geld. In demesne Ralph has two ploughs and four slaves. The borough which is there renders 7l.”

But what does all that mean?

• TRE stands for Tempore Regis Edwardi - the time of King Edward (before 1066);
• A Hide was the standard unit of land against which tax was levied;
• Geld was the land tax first levied in AD 990;
• Demesne means land in personal possession of the lord rather than the tenants working it;
  
• Ploughs refers to the taxable amount of land that can be worked by a team of eight oxen - approx 120 acres;
  
• Around one-tenth of the people of England were counted as slaves, effectively the chattels of manorial lords;
  
• The borough was an urban dwelling, often fortified and many with a market;
  
• 7l means 7 pounds - the Latin for pound being Libra.Paragraph