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Summary

Lydford Norman Earthworks are thought to be the remains of a Norman castle or fort, consisting of a half ringwork. It is believed to have been erected after 1066 and occupied for a short period before being abandoned, probably by the late 12th century when Lydford Castle, to the north east, was built. It is located on the south west edge of the town, within the defences of the Anglo-Saxon burh of Lydford (see associated record). It is defended on two sides by steep ravines and on the third by a rubble rampart/bank and (partly) rock-cut ditch. The rampart is crescent-shaped in plan, running a length of 55 metres. The earth bank is up to 25 metres thick and stands up to 5 metres high from the base of the ditch. The external ditch is on average 3 metres deep and has well-defined, partly rock-cut sides. At the centre of the earthwork, a narrow bank crosses the base of the ditch and there is an indentation near the summit of the bank. This could possibly have been the position of a feature such as a timber causeway entrance, although this is uncertain. The interior of the ringwork is level. A transect was cut across the bank and ditch of the ringwork, and part of the interior excavated in 1963. This revealed the burnt out remains of five timber and earth buildings set close together behind the rampart, their inward facing ends being flanked by deeply set, rough stone paving. The buildings were rectangular in plan, subdivided internally and had earth, clay or shillet walls, which were faced externally with wattle woven round posts. They measured 8 to 12 feet wide and 24 to 25 feet long. The rampart was found to have been revetted internally with massive timber posts. The finds from the excavation included 11th-early 12th century pottery, a coin of the first issue of Stephen and nearly 300 kilograms of charred grain. The site is in the care of English Heritage.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1002506: Ringwork, castle, town banks, site of Saxon town and defences at Lydford

Other References/Statuses

• Guardianship Monument: 282
• National Monuments Record: SX58SW13
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440695
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/12
• Old SAM County Ref: 392
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX58SW13

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FORT (XI to XII - 1066 AD (Between) to 1132 AD (Between))
• RINGWORK (XI to XII - 1066 AD (Between) to 1132 AD (Between))
• POST HOLE (XII - 1135 AD (Between) to 1175 AD (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1879, Lydford and its Castle, 28 (Article in Serial). SDV336870.

Worth describes this as having Celtic origins, and being the remains of a Saxon castle of motte and bailey type.

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Entrenchment (Remains of)' shown on 19th century map. The earthwork is in a semi-circular enclosure with indications of the inner face extending to the west forming a horseshoe shape.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Entrenchment' shown on early 20th century map.

Wall, J. C., 1906, Ancient Earthworks, 619, Plan (Article in Monograph). SDV341465.

Royal Air Force, 1947, 2386 (Aerial Photograph). SDV230769.

Taken on 13th April 1947.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 427 (Monograph). SDV17562.

Domesday book reference to 40 houses being laid waste in Lydford suggests the presence of a castle here, begun between 1066 and 1086.

Ancient Monuments, 1956, Lydford Ringwork (Report - Survey). SDV230740.

Visited in June 1955 and August 1956. A well preserved single bank and ditch enclosing a roughly circular area cut off on one side by a steep fall towards the river.

Renn, D. F., 1959, Mottes. A Classification, 110 (Article in Serial). SDV11931.

Possible siege-work associated with stone keep.

Addyman, P. V., 1963, Lydford Saxon Town, Devon. Interim Report on 1963 Excavations (Report - Interim). SDV230761.

On the tip of the Lydford promontory is a small triangular fort defined on the town side by high banks and a rock-cut ditch. The fort obscured remains of an earlier bank along the edge of the natural slope. This had been covered by a thick make-up level after the fort rampart and ditch had been constructed. The fort may be of early Norman date. Burnt beams and charred grains were found on an occupation layer within.

Addyman, P. V., 1963-1964, Excavations at Lydford, Devon, 1963-64. An Interim Report on excavation work in the Saxon town, Norman fort and late Norman Castle (Un-published). SDV230800.

The roughly triangular early Norman fort was defined by precipices into Lydford gorge on two sides and a rock-cut ditch and shale bank on the third. There was evidence of a slight structure around the precipice edge where 12th century pottery and a 12th century coin were found. About half the interior was occupied by a substantial building later identified as a granary.

Wilson, D. M. + Hurst, D. G., 1965, Medieval Britain in 1964, 194 (Article in Serial). SDV6878.

A small 11th-early 12th century fort of half-ring work form, which lies within the town defences of the Anglo-Saxon burh of Lydford (SX 58 SW 3) has been excavated by P V Addyman since 1963. It is defended on two sides by steep ravines and on the third by a rubble rampart and rock-cut ditch. The burnt out remains of five timber and earth buildings were revealed, set close together behind the rampart, their inward facing ends being flanked by deeply set, rough stone paving. Finds included 11th-early 12th century pottery and a coin of the first issue of Stephen.

Addyman, P. V., 1966, Excavations at Lydford, Devon: 3rd Interim Report (Report - Interim). SDV230763.

Excavated in 1965 revealed the burnt remains of a series of timber and earth buildings ranged close together behind the rampartand flanked by deeply set rough stone paving. Possible traces of a further range of buildings were located on the north side of the fort by the entrance. The internal buildings were used as granaries at least in their final days but are of 12th century or earlier type. The excavation appears to show substantial Norman defences around a cluster of vernacular buildings.

Wilson, D. M. + Hurst, D. G., 1966, Medieval Britain in 1965, 196-7 (Article in Serial). SDV230757.

Excavated by Addyman from 1963. A small 11th - early 12th century fort of half- ringwork form, enclosed by rubble rampart, and rock-cut ditch. Rampart revetted internally with massive posts. Within the ringwork were found the burnt out remains of five rectangular timber and earth buildings set close together behind the rampart. Over and around the buildings was a mass of charred grain finds included local pottery of the 11th and 12th centuries. Buildings interpreted as five granaries, probably mid 12th century.

Wilson, D. M. + Hurst, D. G., 1967, Medieval Britain in 1966, 263 (Article in Serial). SDV6880.

Five possible granaries of the mid 12th century.

King, D. J. C. + Alcock, L., 1969, Ringworks of England and Wales, 113 (Article in Serial). SDV39240.

Classified by King and Alcock as a Class C (partial) ringwork.

Renn, D. F., 1973, Norman Castles in Britain, 235-6 (Monograph). SDV74000.

Coin of Stephen (1135-1142) was found in excavation, in a late deposit of pottery.

Higham, R. A., 1979, The Castles of Medieval Devon, 69,251,317, Figures 10,11, Plate 12,13 (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV336189.

No known documentary references, although its construction may be related to the mention of 40 wasted houses in the Domesday Book. A royal castle, founded before 1086.

Saunders, A. D., 1980, Lydford Castle, Devon, 123-186 (Article in Serial). SDV253674.

Cathcart King, D. J., 1983, Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery, 117 (Article in Serial). SDV346507.

Listed.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/CV, 7-8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV233132.

National Trust, 1984, Lydford Gorge, 5 (Report - Survey). SDV336885.

Site visited in August 1984. the buildings were 8 metres long by 3 metres wide, the walls, of clay, earth or shillet were 0.5 metres wide, with wattle and posts internally and externally. Included in the finds were ornamented bone strips from a 12th century box-lid. The rampart was internally revetted with massive posts, a box-rampart is suggested. The site is defended on two sides by steep ravines and on the third by a rubble rampart and a rock cut ditch. Hill (1981) observes that Lydford was the site of a new mint of Ethelred II. The 11th/12th century earthwork which has been so extensively excavated is now grass-covered and in good condition.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Recorded on aerial photograph.

Higham, R. A., 1988, Devon Castles: An Annotated List, 143 (Article in Serial). SDV341278.

Norman ringwork sited on the promontory.

Ancient Monuments, 1989, 1002506 (Schedule Document). SDV230739.

A semi circular rampart and ditch which terminate at river height. The fortifications of a Pre-Norman borough or British hill-fort.

Ancient Monuments, 1989, Lydford; Ringwork, Castle, Town Banks, Site of Saxon Town and Defences (Schedule Document). SDV351489.

Ringwork: The predecessor of the present Lydford Castle, being a small ringwork with well defined ditch and rampart. Also a stretch of banking running east from the main road along the south edge of the promontory to the corner of Gorge House garden.
A well preserved single bank and ditch enclosing a roughly circular area cut off on one side by a steep, almost precipitous fall towards the river. From the north-east, a ploughed out bank only faintly traceable runs just within the edge of the Lydford promontory towards the more massive earthworks of the castle bailey. These works may represent portions of the pre conquest defences. Mound circa 6.5 metres high, ditch 2.75 metres, bank to the north-east circa 65 metres long.

Higham, R. A., 1989, Timber Castles - A Reassessment, 60 (Article in Serial). SDV230773.

Department of National Heritage, 1997, Scheduled Monument Consent letter (Correspondence). SDV230776.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for works concerning the erection of a boundary fence with kissing-gate.

Department of National Heritage, 1997, Scheduled Monument Consent letter, Dated 15/8/1997 (Correspondence). SDV230775.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for the construction of a more permanent trackway along the line of the existing track.

Newman, P., 2000, The Town and Castle Earthworks at Lydford, 9-11 , Figure 6 (Report - Survey). SDV351534.

Lydford Norman Earthworks are thought to be the remains of a Norman castle or fort, consisting of a half ringwork. It is believed to have been erected in the 1060s and occupied for a short period before being abandoned, probably by the late 12th century when Lydford Castle, to the north east, was built. It is located on the south west edge of the town. It is defended on two sides by steep ravines and on the third by a rubble rampart/bank and (partly) rock-cut ditch. The rampart is crescent-shaped in plan, running a length of 55 metres. The earth bank is up to 25 metres thick and stands up to 5 metres high from the base of the ditch. The external ditch is on average 3 metres deep and has well-defined, partly rock-cut sides. At the centre of the earthwork, a narrow bank crosses the base of the ditch and there is an indentation near the summit of the bank. This could possibly have been the position of a feature such as a timber Causeway entrance, although this is uncertain. The interior of the ringwork is level. A transect was cut across the bank and ditch of the ringwork, and part of the interior excavated in the 1960s. This revealed the burnt out remains of five timber and earth buildings set close together behind the rampart, their inward facing ends being flanked by deeply set, rough stone paving. The buildings were rectangular in plan, subdivided internally and had earth, clay or shillet walls, which were faced externally with wattle woven round posts. They measured 8 to 12 feet wide and 24 to 25 feet long. The rampart was found to have been revetted internally with massive timber posts. The finds from the excavation included nearly 300 kilograms of charred grain.

Manning, P., 2008, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Sewage Treatment Works at Lydford, 6-7 (Report - Assessment). SDV351460.

Remains of a 11th /12th century defensive ringwork on the promontory to the west of Lydford parish church. During excavation evidence of five buildings was found within the site which were interpreted as granaries. The ringwork partly overlay the earlier town defences where evidence of Saxon buildings was found.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Curvilinear feature shown on modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV5949 - COIN (XI to XII - 1100 AD to 1199 AD)
• FDV5950 - SHERD (XI to XII - 1100 AD to 1199 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV6171 - Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Sewage Treatment Works at Lydford (Ref: 08.31)
• EDV6180 - Survey of the Town and Castle Earthworks at Lydford
• EDV8624 - Excavation at the Fort, Lydford

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