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Summary

The Saxon burh of Hlidan, the town now known as Lydford, lies on a wedge-shaped promontory, isolated on the south and west by the deep gorge of the Lyd and on the north-west by a very steep sided tributary valley. Finds uncovered during excavation have included Imported Mediterranean Ware, which may indicate there was an earlier post Roman settlement here. During the reign of Alfred the Great (AD 871-99) it is believed that the town was chosen, on account of its great natural strength, to form a unit in the scheme of national defence. It is claimed that it proved an effective barrier to Danish raiders in AD 997 and subsequently became a populous burh, with a mint which issued silver pennies continuously from the reign of Ethelred II (AD 976-1016) to that of Edward the Confessor (AD 1042-1066). After AD 1066, a Norman fort, remaining as earthworks, was built within the town boundaries followed by a late 12th century prison or keep (see associated records). Lydford subsequently became significant as a centre for justice and administration of the Forest of Dartmoor and the Stannaries. However it declined in commercial terms after the 14th century before seeing a revival in the 19th century. The location of the town on a promontory meant that it required little artificial fortification except for the north-east sector. At this position there still remains a large curvilinear earthwork rampart, separating the original settlement off from the flatter land to the north-east. The rampart is in two sections with a 25 metre gap in the centre, which is thought to be the original entrance to the settlement, though it would have been much narrower in earlier times. There may well have been an external ditch to the rampart. The interior of the buhr contains evidence of street layouts and property boundaries, which are believed to go back to Saxon times. The pottery found during excavations also included some late Saxon wares. 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: SX58SW3
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 440671
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/86
• Old SAM County Ref: 392

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BURH (Post Roman to IX - 410 AD (Between) to 899 AD (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. N., 1879, Lydford and its Castle, 296 (Article in Serial). SDV336870.

Reichel, O. J., 1896, The Domesday Hundreds: Listone, 465 (Article in Serial). SDV2119.

Lethaby, W. R., 1904-1905, The Conqueror's Castles in Devon, 179-181 (Article in Serial). SDV342523.

Reichel, O. J., 1914, The Hundred of Lifton in the Time of Testa de Nevil, AD 1243, 217-9 (Article in Serial). SDV336448.

At the time of Testa de Nevil 1243, Earl Richard held Lydford together with the Forest of Dartmoor.

Alexander, J. J., 1926, The Early Boroughs of Devon, 276-7 (Article in Serial). SDV336875.

Alexander, J. J., 1929, 2nd Report on Early History of Devon, 135 (Article in Serial). SDV75185.

Finberg, H. P. R., 1947-1949, Lydford Castle, 386-7 (Article in Serial). SDV233004.

The Saxon Burh at Lydford. First reference to Lydford occurs in the Burghal Hidage (circa 900), in which Lydford is assigned 140 hides for its defense.

Hoskins, W. G., 1954, A New Survey of England: Devon, 427-9 (Monograph). SDV17562.

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.

Although it was previously believed that the defenses of the burh only extended across the neck of the promontory, it has now been demonstrated that they enclose the whole town. Traces of the earthen bank (a timber strengthened turf bank) have been located at various points on the town's circumference: on the southern tip of the promontory beneath the Norman ringwork, and later castle bailey and on north-west edge of Lydford. It is possible that a double bank existed across the neck of the promontory. Most of the defenses are now in guardianship, or have been Scheduled. Excavations have taken place within the burh where it was demonstrated that the present grid street system is of Saxon origins, probably the result of a systematic laying out in the time of King Alfred when the burh was established. Within the burgage tenement boundaries (defined by ditches or palisades) have been found a sunken floored hut and timber buildings of presumed Saxon date, Devon being aceramic at that time. Saxon features also noticed in the area of Lydford Castle and Southgate Cottages. The burh also contained a mint. The borough of Lideforde was a royal borough at the time of Domesday. In the time of King Edward, it was held by the King in demense.

Wilson, D. M. + Hurst, D. G., 1965, Medieval Britain in 1964, 196-7 (Article in Serial). SDV6878.

Whitelock, D., 1965, The Anglo Saxon Chronicle (Monograph). SDV233010.

The defences at Lydford formed an effective barrier to Danish raiders in 997.

Hill, D., 1969, The Burghal Hidage, 90 (Article in Serial). SDV339210.

Radford, C. A. R., 1970, Article in Medieval Archaeology, 94-6, Plan (Article in Serial). SDV336884.

Lydford is noted in the Burghal Hidage; to it belonged 140 hides. The history of the town begins during the reign of Alfred the Great (871-99) when it was chosen, on account of its great natural strength, to form a unit in the scheme of national defence. After proving an effective barrier to Danish raiders in 997 it became a populous burh, with a mint which issued silver pennies continuously from the reign of Ethelred II to that of Edward the
Confessor. Lydford lies on a wedge-shaped promontory, isolated on the south and west by the deep gorge of the Lyd and on the north-west by a very steep sided tributory valley. Some 300 yds from the point where the Medieval (and modern) bridge (SX 58 SW 12) crosses the gorge, the neck of the promontory is cut off by a bank about 650 feet long, running from scarp to scarp. The point at which the modern road passes through this bank at the only break, doubtless marks the position of the early gate. Within the defences are Lydford Castle (SX 58 SW 2) and, on the point of the promontory the Norman fort (SX 58 SW 13). Excavations by P Addyman in recent years have located the bank both within the castle bailey and under the fort. At the latter point it was 6 feet high and about 40 ft wide, with a granite revetment at the front inserted at a later date. Stone and timber structures behind the bank were also presumably Saxon. Area excavations within the town disclosed property boundaries going back to Saxon times. The pottery found included some late Saxon wares.

Biddle, M. + Hill, D., 1971, Late Saxon Planned Towns, 83 (Article in Serial). SDV342518.

Beresford, M. W. + Finberg, H. P. R., 1973, English Medieval Boroughs. A Handlist, 93 (Monograph). SDV6626.

In c1018 the borough court of Lydford is mentioned. In 1086 twenty eight burgesses inside and forty one outside the borough are mentioned.

Barley, M. W., 1975, The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales, 58-9 (Article in Serial). SDV260933.

Beresford, M. W. + St. Joseph, J. K., 1979, Medieval England: An Ariel Survey, 200, Photograph (Monograph). SDV81678.

Saunders, A. D., 1980, Lydford Castle, Devon, 123-64 (Article in Serial). SDV253674.

Hlidan (Lydford) was assessed at 140 hides, equating with 577 feet, which does not in any way compare with the defensive circuit of the later main defences which amount to 1020 feet. Lydford can be classed as a major borough and is first known from the Burghal Hideage.

Griffith, F., 1988, Devon's Past. An Aerial View, 69 (Monograph). SDV64198.

The only side at Lydford lacking natural defences, the north-east, was protected in the Late Saxon period by a massive earthen bank, which can still be seen on the ground and in the photograph. A date in the 880s, in the reign of King Alfred, is the most probable for the construction of these defences, which are similar to those of other known promontory burhs.

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

Most of the site of the Saxon Burh at Lydford is enclosed within the Scheduled Monument area.

Newman, P., 1997, Survey of the southern defences, Lydford (Report - Survey). SDV256084.

(31/05/1997) Centered at SX50888476. The area immediately SW of the southern defences of Lydford Castle was surveyed by the RCHME in May 1997 in advance of work to upgrade an access track.
Summary of previous work.
The Burghal Hidage town and medieval earthworks at Lydford have long been a focus for archaeological work including several excavations in the 1960s. Despite earthwork surveys having been carried out on both the Norman ringwork (Addyman 1965) and the later stone castle and its associated features (Saunders 1980), no published survey of earthworks beyond these areas exists, other than the 1:2500 scale, originally surveyed for Ordnance Survey 1st edition maps in 1882 and depicted on all subsequent editions (SX5084). For the subtle features between the two sites there has, to date, been no record. The RCHME survey has rectified this shortfall, by surveying both the castle earthworks and the ground between them together, including several features not previously recorded.
The Castle ditch and associated features.
The south-west castle defences consist essentially of a steep-sided, partly rock-cut ditch, of up to 20m wide at top and on average 5m deep, surmounted by an internal bank, forming the perimeter of the bailey. The summit of the bank is approximately 2.5m higher than the ground on the southern exterior of the ditch. The base of the ditch shallows out at the eastern end and is then not traceable beyond the modern wall. South of the fence, the slope of the ditch becomes shallower, and a low, external bank runs the entire visible length of the ditch, truncated on the west by the sewage plant and on the east, by the recently refurbished cemetery wall. This bank, which has a spread of up to 15m and is approximately 0.5m high, probably represents a small quantity of upcast formed during construction of the castle ditch. An unmetalled vehicle track runs approximately along the crest of this bank. The line of the sewer pipe, which runs beneath the bank is mostly undetectable though a slight break of slope near the sewage plant could be evidence of it.
Other features.
A further extremely slight and very spread linear earthwork extends from the western end of the bank, along the lip of the precipice which runs to the south-west and forms the edge of the plateau, between the castle bailey and the ringwork. The bank, which has a spread of up to 6m and appears to pre-date the low bank discussed above which overlies it, could be associated with the original town wall, dating at least to the 10th century AD.
Vestiges of a short length of the former enclosure wall are visible between the castle precinct and the churchyard wall. The section of this wall which underlies the vehicle track has become exposed through erosion. This wall is delineated on the Lydford Tithe Map of 1840, the OS 1st edition 1:2500 map (1882), and all subsequent editions and has been demolished within the last 100 year.
Conclusions.
The low bank to the south of the ditch is subtle and spread in character and is therefore likely to be of recent date. It is however quite substantial rising to 0.5m above ground level and spread to between 10 and 15m wide. It is probable therefore that this bank represents upcast from the castle ditch, which was according to Saunders, constructed during the late 13th century (Saunders 1980, 162). The substantive nature of the bank and the smoothness of its form, would also argue against it being the result of digging activity when the 14" sewer pipe was installed earlier this century. This would have produced much less upcast, a quantity of which would have been backfilled.
The short length of former enclosure wall is know to have existed in 1840 from our earliest map evidence (Lydford Tythe Map 1840) and was probably still in existence when the 1st edition OS map was surveyed in 1882. It is possible this wall was demolished at the time the sewage treatment works was constructed earlier this century to provide access and as a route for the pipe.

Newman, P., 2000, The Town and Castle Earthworks at Lydford, 4-9, Figure 5-8 (Report - Survey). SDV351534.

The Saxon burh of Hlidan, the town now known as Lydford, lies on a wedge-shaped promontory, isolated on the south and west by the deep gorge of the Lyd and on the north-west by a very steep sided tributary valley. Finds uncovered during excavation have included Imported Mediterranean Ware, which may indicate there was an earlier post Roman settlement here. During the reign of Alfred the Great (AD 871-99) it is believed that the town was chosen, on account of its great natural strength, to form a unit in the scheme of national defence. It is claimed that it proved an effective barrier to Danish raiders in AD 997 and subsequently became a populous burh, with a mint which issued silver pennies continuously from the reign of Ethelred II (AD 976-1016) to that of Edward the Confessor (AD 1042-1066). After AD 1066, a Norman fort, remaining as earthworks, was built within the town boundaries followed by a late 12th century prison or keep (see associated records). Lydford subsequently became significant as a centre for justice and administration of the Forest of Dartmoor and the Stannaries. However it declined in commercial terms after the 14th century before seeing a revival in the 19th century. The location of the town on a promontory meant that it required little artificial fortification except for the north-east sector. At this position there still remains a large curvilinear earthwork rampart, separating the original settlement off from the flatter land to the north-east. The rampart is in two sections with a 25 metre gap in the centre, which is thought to be the original entrance to the settlement, though it would have been much narrower in earlier times. There may well have been an external ditch to the rampart. The interior of the buhr contains evidence of street layouts and property boundaries, which are believed to go back to Saxon times. The pottery found during excavations also included some late Saxon wares.

GSB Prospection, 2011, An Archaeological Geophysical Survey on Land Adjacent to Lydford Castle (Report - Scientific). SDV359789.

Relatively strong well-defined archaeological type anomalies have been detected in the northern half of the survey area; the pattern suggests a possible small enclosure or land parcel immediately west of the churchyard, though interpretation is hampered by the presence of ferrous anomalies. A few other linear anomalies and weak trends in the central and southern parts of the survey grid may also be of interest, given the wider context; though these tend to be less coherent and the interpretation is more cautious.

Steinmetzer, M., 2011, Archaeological evaluation on land adjacent to Lydford Castle, Lydford, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV359788.

Installation of a South West Water temporary works compound. Two trenches totalling 31 metres in length were excavated within the proposed compound, targeting a series of anomalies identified during an earlier geophysical survey.
None of the anomalies identified by the geophysical survey were found. The trenches revealed a consistently uniform layer sequence of modern topsoil and post-medieval subsoil, overlying an extensive earth bank. Although no pottery or other dating evidence was recovered the bank is likely to be of Saxon and/or Norman date, representing part of the town defences.

Steinmetzer, M., 2014, Archaeological watching brief during the reinstatement of the site compound adjacent to Lydford Castle (Report - Watching Brief). SDV357113.

No topsoil was disturbed during the installation of the compound. This covered an area (30 by 30 metres) with geotextile and later stone, placed directly onto the existing ground. A small collection of unstratified finds were recovered, including fragments of iron slag and 18th-19th century pottery.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 25/11/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

Source includes a brief accessible account of the history and remains of the Saxon town of Lydford and the later castles there. the source includes a small plan showing the promontary and the Saxon defences cutting it off. (English Heritage: Edited by Katy Carter, 2004, Heritage Unlocked: Guide to free sites in Devon, Dorset and Somerset, pg 22-25).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

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
• EDV6566 - Watching brief during reinstatement of the site compound adjacent to Lydford Castle (Ref: OA1009)
• EDV7063 - Watching brief on replacement of electricity pole on land at South Gate, Lydford (Ref: ACD1416)
• EDV7078 - Evaluation on land adjacent to Lydford Castle (Ref: 7486)
• EDV7079 - Geophysical survey on land adjacent to Lydford Castle (Ref: 2011/07)
• EDV8450 - Excavation at Southgate Cottages, Lydford
• EDV8454 - Watching brief within Lydford Castle grounds
• EDV8455 - Watching brief on land at Lydford (Ref: ACD163)
• EDV8623 - Excavation at Lydford Castle
• EDV8624 - Excavation at the Fort, Lydford

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