HER 339 DESCRIPTION:- Scheduled Monument Description:- Summary of Monument Motte and bailey castle 160m ESE of Lower Farm. Reasons for Designation Motte and bailey castles are medieval fortifications introduced into Britain by the Normans. They comprised a large conical mound of earth or rubble, the motte, surmounted by a palisade and a stone or timber tower. In a majority of examples an embanked enclosure containing additional buildings, the bailey, adjoined the motte. Motte castles and motte-and-bailey castles acted as garrison forts during offensive military operations, as strongholds, and, in many cases, as aristocratic residences and as centres of local or royal administration. Built in towns, villages and open countryside, motte and bailey castles generally occupied strategic positions dominating their immediate locality and, as a result, are the most visually impressive monuments of the early post-Conquest period surviving in the modern landscape. Over 600 motte castles or motte-and-bailey castles are recorded nationally, with examples known from most regions. As one of a restricted range of recognised early post-Conquest monuments, they are particularly important for the study of Norman Britain and the development of the feudal system. Although many were occupied for only a short period of time, motte castles continued to be built and occupied from the 11th to the 13th centuries, after which they were superseded by other types of castle. Despite partial early excavation the motte and bailey castle 160m ESE of Lower Farm survives well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, longevity, social and political significance, strategic importance, domestic arrangements, abandonment and overall landscape context. History See Details. Details This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 10 July 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records. The monument includes a motte and bailey castle situated on the summit of a low hill within a meander of the River Eye and in the settlement of Upper Slaughter. The motte survives as a circular flat topped mound of up to 22m in diameter and 2.7m high surrounded by a partially buried outer ditch which excavation showed to be up to 8m wide and 4m deep and to the north and west a 90m long scarp with a flat platform above the river indicating a bailey. Partial excavations in 1877 revealed a well and the footings for a building on the summit of the motte and 12th to 13th century pottery finds {Source Work 2873.} 1877 - Excavation by Witts into the top of the motte in to one of three already existing depressions. He recorded a depth of 7 foot of artificial ground before encountering the original ground level. Continuing the excavation he found a circular well, walled with stone and filled with loose stones containing charcoal, burnt stone, coarse pottery, bone pins and animal bone. These finds have now been lost. {Source Work 252.} 1896? - Visit to the site by the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society was led by Witts notes that the well was excavated to 30 foot, level with the brook and that a chamber was noted at the bottom. Further excavations were prevented by the rush of water. {Source Work 252.} 1897 - Members of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society visited the site during their summer meeting. The site was at this time referred to as Upper Slaughter Burh and thought to have been built by a local Saxon lord. The mound was described as being 80 feet in diameter with "a table top nearly flat" and it was surrounded by a steep slope 15 feet in depth. "Then there was then an irregular court eighty feet in width; then another steep slope at the bottom of which ran a tributary of the Windrush, which supplied a moat." The description mentions Witts examination of the site in 1877 noting that he found the bottom of the well, which had been excavated to a depth of 30 feet, which was on a level with the brook below. Excavation stopped here due to the rush of water. It was thought that the site had originally been strengthened by paling fences and a timber building on the summit. {Source Work 2730.} 1961 - Watching brief type work by HE O'Neil was carried out during road widening at the eastern end of the site produced pottery of 11th to 13th century date. The work entailed the removal of some trees and the cutting back of the bank. The work indicated that stone walling rather than massive timbering was used at the base of the mound, stone is also present at the edge of the flat top of the motte. A bank in the field to the east of the road suggests that the site extends in this direction and the road has cut through the site. {Source Work 2977.} 1969 - Ordnance Survey - The castle was built with a flat-topped mound of which the top seven feet were made-up soil, above an irregular bailey from which the ground dropped to the Slaughter Brook on north and moat to east. Excavation in the moat has produced 12th and 13th century, and the castle, which is not in a commanding position, was probably built for local defence and used only for a short period. {Source Work 862.} 1970 - Ordnance Survey - A low motte within an oval bailey. A chamber found 30' down, the stone-lined well in the 19th century and 12th century pottery in 1963 when road bisecting the site was widened. {Source Work 862.} 1971 - Ordnance Survey - Mound maximum 2.7m high - roughly square flat top 220m across, with two depressions one well, other a building or excavation. The west and south sides of the mound partly levelled by adjacent farm complex. 90m length of a scarp above stream on the north and west and a levelled platform between this and the mound identified bailey and moat. It may be conjectured that the outline of bailey defined by roughly circular Modern building alignment excavation might prove SP 1566 2360 to SP 1565 2322 broad bank east of motte could be associated though its purpose is obscure. {Source Work 862.} 1976 - Saville - the remaining portion of the motte is under grass. {Source Work 370.} 1989 - An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service between 10 and 26 June 1989 in connection with the redevelopment of the farm. Four trenches were excavated. Two contained evidence for a ditch which would have originally divided the motte from the bailey. An early Medieval pit, an undated pit and a possible building foundation were also recorded. {Source Work 2575.} 1989 - A second archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service on 27 to 28 November 1989 in connection with the construction of a new dwelling. The eastern area of the motte ditch was identified. It was 4m deep and 6m wide. Masonry had been used in its construction. {Source Work 2564.} 1991 - Observation of further groundworks demonstrate the motte ditch to be approximately 4m deep. Worked stone found in its fill re-inforce the view that stone had been used in the defences. Sherds of 12th and 13th century pot were also found. {Source Work 484.} 1993 - A watching brief was carried out at Home Farm Barn, centred on SP 1555 2321, during conversion works in February 1993 by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service. Digging of rain water soakaways was carried out from the four corners of the barn, which is located in the south western part of the bailey. A connected sandy layer 0.85cm thick was observed in the south-western soakaway near to the western boundary of Home Farm. This later may represent the bank of the outer bailey suggesting that the bailey ditch is located under the road to the west. {Source Work 2658.} 1993 - A watching brief at Home Farm, Upper Slaughter, on new footings for an extension of the present building on plot 4 revealed evidence of a medieval feature, probably a pit, and the remains of a post-medieval stone-head sheepwash. {Source Work 2684.} 1993 - A site visit was made to Manor Cottage, Upper Slaughter, on 21 July 1993 to observe the digging of foundations for a new garage at the rear of the property. No deposits or features of archaeological significance were observed during the watching brief. 1994 - An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service on 11 January 1994 at Home Farm Barn in connection with the excavation of a footings trench for an internal partition wall inside the tithe barn and a trench for the construction of a fire place. Groundworks for the partition wall did not occur below the level representing modern deposition and, consequently, no archaeological features or deposits were affected. Groundworks for the fireplace revealed several layers, including two possible earlier surfaces. The deepest excavated deposit, to an overall depth of about 0.52m, was only partially excavated, and contained pottery sherds. Four of these were of probable late Medieval date and the remaining three probably earlier. {Source Work 3336.} 1995 - An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Gloocestershire County Council Archaeology Service in December 1995 at Home Farm Tithe Barn in connection with footings for an extension. Six trenches were excavated by machine. A feature was interpreted as a Medieval ditch orientated north to south. It may represent part of the bailey defences, although the evidence is inconclusive (about 5m wide at top of cut; about 3.5m wide at base of trench - features unbottomed; Medieval pottery of 12th or 13th century date and animal bone from fill). {Source Works 3337, 4575.} (PRN 8660 listed on HER Amendment sheet but not located.) 2001-2002 - A sheepwash survey was undertaken by Worcestershire County Archaeology Service within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The sheepwash at Upper Slaughter was demolished. {Source Work 8082.} 2006 - Gloucestershire NMP (Cotswold & Forest of Dean) (SP 15602324) Castle Mound (NR). The castle was built with a flat-topped mound, of which the top seven feet were made-up soil, above an irregular bailey from which the ground dropped to the Slaughter Brook on the north and to a moat on the east. Excavation in the moat has produced 12th and 13th century potsherds and the castle, which is not in a commanding position, was probably built for local defence and was used only for a short period. A low motte within an oval bailey. A chamber was found 30ft down the stone-lined well in the 19th cent and 12th cent pottery in 1963 when the road bisecting the site was widened. This mound is a maximum of 2.7m high and has a roughly square flat top, 22.0m across, with two depressions in it, one of which is the well, the other presumably representing a building or excavation. The west and south sides of the mound have been partly levelled by the adjacent farm complex. Of the bailey and moat only a 90.0m length of a scarp above the stream on the north and west and a levelled platform between this and the mound can be clearly identified. It may be conjectured that the outline of the bailey is defined by the roughly circular modern building alignment though this could only be proven to excavation. A broad bank from SP 15662326 to SP 15652322, to the east of the motte, could be associated though its purpose is obscure. SP 1555 2327. A watching brief during construction work at Home Farm revealed the ditch around the western side of the motte. The ditch, 8m wide and up to 4m deep, had been partly backfilled with material probably from the mound, and containing several large blocks of worked masonry. Residual 12th Century pottery was recovered in association with several modern features and a possible medieval pit. An unstratified La Tene III bow brooch of Claudio-Neronian date was also found. Listed by Cathcart King. The motte, part of the western ditch of Witts {Source Work 252}, and part of the northern moat are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and have been mapped by English Heritage's Gloucestershire NMP. {Source Work 4249.} 2009 - A watching brief at Tithe Barn, Upper Slaughter. Excavation within the detached barn itself showed that the floor area has been significantly altered with areas of earlier floor surfaces still evident on the south side of the barn. Over much of the inside of the detached barn a modern concrete floor and associated modern levelling was directly overlying natural deposits of limestone rubble. It is likely that earlier floor surfaces and possibly other archaeological deposits were removed during excavations to install the modern concrete floor. During the excavation of Areas 1 and 3 three archaeological features were identified, a shallow post-medieval pit, a short length of wall relating to the barn and a linear ditch. The north-south orientated linear ditch is a single feature containing 12th century medieval pottery in its fill. A watching brief carried out to the south of the tithe barn during the addition of an extension (Hoyle 1995) recorded a north-south orientated medieval ditch (also dated to the 12th century) on the same alignment, as this was recorded 6 metres to the south of it is highly likely to be the same feature. Further archaeological deposits were revealed during excavation of a soakaway (Area 2); interpretation of this area was restricted due to the small size of the area investigated and modern disturbance in the area. Pottery recovered from the fill has been dated to the 11th - 12th century. The dating evidence indicates that the medieval activity recorded during the watching brief is closely related to the motte and bailey castle, it is possbile that ditch and feature are related to the earthworks of the castle. {Source Work 9779.} 2009 - The study of available sources, mainly historical, archaeological and cartographic, has indicated that archaeological deposits dating from the prehistoric, Romano-British, and medieval periods, may exist within the study area. In particular, deposits relating to medieval settlement activity, associated with the motte and bailey castle on which the site stands, may survive within the proposed development area. In addition, an assessment of the site setting has established that the proposed development is likely to have a minimal impact on the setting of the Scheduled Monument. Archaeological field evaluation may help to ascertain the presence, character and survival of any archaeological deposits on site. {Source Work 9689.} 2009 - Three hand dug trenches were excavated during the evaluation and layers of limestone rubble interpreted as being part of Upper Slaughter's Medieval motte were recorded. {Source Work 9902.} 2010 - A watching brief was maintained by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service during the groundworks associated with the reduction of ground level at The Laurels, Upper Slaughter, on 1 March 2010 for Property Pathfinder. The ground level was reduced, following the demolition of an extension, by machine to between 0.20m and 0.30m to allow for the underpinning of adjacent buildings. No archaeological features or deposits of significance were recorded in the work carried out and it may be that the previous building, and it's associated services, may have had a detrimental effect on the preservation of archaeological remains in the area. {Source Work 10102.} 2015 - Scheduled Monument Consent given for work at Castle Mound. SMC S00122541 relates to restoring and replanting an orchard on the site.{Source Work 10426.} |