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Summary

Barrow Castles, Barrow Haven. This complex of earthworks shows the location of Barrow Castle, with associated baileys (x3) and surrounding enclosures. Scheduled monument. The medieval earthworks are clearly visible on aerial photographs and were digitally plotted during the Inner Humber RCZAS NMP.

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (MED, Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1450 AD?)
• MOTTE AND BAILEY (MED, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1200 AD)

Protected Status - None

Associated Finds

• SPEAR (Unknown date)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1450 AD)

Associated Events

• Watching Brief at Wayside, Barrow Haven, 2002 (Ref: BRBI)
• Earthwork survey on Barrow Castle, 1982 (Ref: BRC 82)
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Excavations at Barrow Castles, 1964
• Aerial photographic Sortie
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Aerial photographic sortie
• Inner Humber Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey NMP

Full description

Motte and bailey, "Barrow Castles". Substantial earthworks survive, bailey to NW occupied by farm buildings, earthworks to E and NE enclose further areas. Scheduled. Northernmost part of earthworks (N of Hann Lane) levelled and ploughed, remainder under pasture, area nearly 4 ha. Excavations reported to have been undertaken on motte( ?) c. 1752, results not recorded (Sampson 1888, 359). Construction of air-raid shelter, 1939, in an outer bank revealed base of timber palisade at TA065226 (OSSI 1963). Excavations by E Varley, 1964 (trenches in motte and outer bailey), finds included Norman-14th cent. pottery, arrowheads, knife sharpener, Norman gaming device, no indication of stone-built defences (AN 1964, 38). Site occupies a small island of boulder clay, the extent of which is defined by outer earthworks. Field boundaries and geology suggest that the medieval coast was further south than its present line and that Barrow Haven extended further inland on SW side of site. The "Castles" would thus have directly controlled the haven. (Sampson 1888, 358-60; DOE AM List; OS 1 ;2500 resurvey 1963; CUAC obi. 1951, 1968; SM, B R/01 ) . [1]

Aerial photographs [2 - 9]

Two ground slides taken in 1990. [10-11]

The earthworks were surveyed by W.S. Heselden and 'Mr Rawson the surveyor' c. 1845. Heselden noted that the earthworks were '..intersected by on of the new occupation roads, made upon the enclosure in 1979, and such part of the banks as lay north of this road has now got so levelled with the land, that their course is only just discernible; the works south of this road are yet in their uneven state, though the ditches round their different mounds are now nearly filled up.' The 'new occupation road' would be West Hann Lane. Hesleden mistakenly linked the earthworks to the Anglo-Saxon period and the battle of Brunanburgh. [12]

The earthworks were surveyed by Caroline Atkins in 1982 and published in Lincolnshire History and Archaeology in 1983.

The article included an assessment of the historical background : 'There appear to be no 11th or early 12th-century documents which mention a castle at Barrow, but is possible to trace some of the holders of the manor of Barrow on Humber during this period. The first well-documented Norman holder of this manor was Drogo de la Beuvriere, who had arrived in England as a soldier with William the Conquerer. He was then granted virtually all of the Holderness estates and twenty-four estates in Lincolnshire, when they became available in 1071. Of the lands in Lincolnshire, Barrow-on-Humber, Castle Bytham and Carlton-le-Moorland (in the far north, south and west of the county) were by far the most valuable, to judge from the Domesday assessments. Apparently all three of these manors together with smaller estates had previously belonged to Morcar, the Earl of Northumbria, until his revolt against William and consequent forfeiture in 1071, as had Drogo's principal estates in Holderness.: It therefore seems likely that Barrow was already an estate
centre, quite possibly with a ringwork, before Drogo was granted Morcar's lands.

In 1087, William re-granted first Holderness, and then the Lincolnshire estates, to Odo of Champagne, Drogo having fled from England because he had accidentally killed his wife, a relative of William's. Count Odo's estates were eventually inherited in 1102 by his son Stephen, who then became the first of a long line of Counts of Aumale to hold these Lincolnshire estates. A 'charter of confirmation' dated 3 July 1189 lists 'Castellum de Barwe' amongst the posessions of Thornton Abbey, an Augustinian house founded in 1139 by William le Gros, Count of Aumale.

...The Norman Counts owned the ferry between Paul and Barrow Haven, which connected their estates in Holderness and Lincolnshire, and it may well be that the motte and bailey castle was specifically built to protect the southern landfall of this ferry.' [13]

Humberside Archaeology Unit sitecode for the 1982 earthwork survey BRC 82. [14-16]

English Heritage Monuments at Risk report. [17]

Aerial photographs. [18, 19]

Colour aerial photographs, c. 1986. [20 - 22]

Colour aerial photographs, 1989. [23, 24]

Colour aerial photograph, 1990s. [25]

Scheduled Monument Consent for the erection of a steel framed agricultural building within the scheduled area, 2105. [26]

The medieval earthworks are clearly visible on aerial photographs and lidar imagery [27] and were digitally plotted during the Inner Humber RCZAS NMP.

MED HUMBS DISPLAY, BARROW CASTLES RECON & AP (GROUND SLIDE). SLS126.

A Davidson, 1987, Untitled Source (CORRESPONDENCE). SLS5148.

Atkins, C. Caroline Atkins Consultants., 2002, A Report on the Archaeological Watching Brief Land North of 'Wayside', Ferry Road, Barrow Haven, Bar (REPORT - INTERIM, RESEARCH, SPECIALIST, ETC). SLS1975.

Historic England, 2015, Scheduled Monument Consent (ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS). SLS7141.

<1> Loughlin, N and Miller, KR, 1979, A Survey of Archaeological Sites in Humberside, 184 (BOOK). SLS523.

<2> CUAC, 1956, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS577.

<3> RCHM, 1977, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS576.

<4> CUAC, 1956, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS578.

<5> CUAC, 1956, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS579.

<6> CUAC, 1956, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS580.

<7> CUAC, 1968, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS581.

<8> CUAC, 1968, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS582.

<9> E DENNISON, 1989, BARROW CASTLES (AP SLIDE). SLS250.

<10> E DENNISON, 1990, BARROW CASTLES, BARTON UPON HUMBER (GROUND SLIDE). SLS222.

<11> E DENNISON, 1990, BARROW CASTLES, BARTON UPON HUMBER (GROUND SLIDE). SLS223.

<12> W. S. Hesleden, 1846, Account of Ancient Earth Works At Barton-on-Humber, and Conjectures Relating to the site of The Battle of Brunaburh (OFFPRINT - AN ARTICLE, BUT PUBLISHED AS A SEPARATE). SLS2637.

<13> Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 1966 -, Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 18, 1983, 91-93 (JOURNAL - RECORD OF EVENTS). SLS1352.

<14> Humberside Archaeological Unit, 1995, HAU Excavation Index, BRC 82 (INDEX). SLS2945.

<15> WATKIN & WHITWELL, PLAN OF BARROW CASTLES (GROUND SLIDE). SLS242.

<16> EARTHWORK SURVEY BARROW CASTLES (GROUND SLIDE). SLS125.

<17> English Heritage, 2009, Monuments at Risk data, 23802 (ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS). SLS3978.

<18> Rex C. Russell, 1950-1970, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS4459.

<19> Rex C. Russell, 1950-1970, Untitled Source (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS4458.

<20> K Leahy, 1986, Untitled Source (AP SLIDE). SLS5554.

<21> K Leahy, 1986, Untitled Source (AP SLIDE). SLS5555.

<22> K Leahy, 1986, Untitled Source (AP SLIDE). SLS5556.

<23> K Leahy, 1989, Untitled Source (AP SLIDE). SLS5642.

<24> K Leahy, 1989, Untitled Source (AP SLIDE). SLS5641.

<25> K Leahy, 1990s, Untitled Source (AP SLIDE). SLS5740.

<27> Environment Agency, xx-xxx-2016, LIDAR Environment Agency DTM 1m LAST RETURN xx-xxx-2016 (AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH). SLS7495.

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

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