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Monument Type(s):

• BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TOWER (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Summary

Standing remains consist of west gatehouse, attached chamber block and short length of curtain wall. Remains of castle incorporated into dwelling; mostly in excellent state. More elements of the castle were discoverered in 2012 evaluation.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

1) OS map says "Ham Court and Remains of Castle".
2) Temporary Edward II manor belonged to Aylmer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke and in Patent Rolls. "Crenellation" licence granted fortify with battlements and towers castle at Bampton.
4) The standing remains consist of the west gatehouse, attached chamber block and a short length of curtain wall. Anthony Wood noted 'it was built quadrangular', a statement that is confirmed by the survey.
5) Site visit -- Reconstruction drawings. No further informaiton.
6) Remains of castle incorporated into dwelling; most are in excellent state: information recorded and card discarded (HC 05/02/2015).
7) OUAS investigated site; surviving remains include a vaulted gatehouse with attached chamber block and a length of curtain wall; all can be interpreted in light of sketch made in 1664. See plan for projected original features (plan on p.269).
9) Evaluation confirmed presence of archaeological features, assumed to be related to the early medieval castle first constructed round C13 AD. Trench 1 revealed the presence of a medieval building, possibly a barn or horse stable. 4 sherds of early Med (C11 or later) pottery was found from the wall footing, as well as animal bone. The building may also prove that the settlement of Bamoton, known to exist from Saxon times, could have extended this far W of the nucleated settlement. A demolition layer on the inside of the structure indicated that the building was demolished in early Post Med period (C16). A subsequent building replaced this barn, and was visible on a 1789 historic map.
Trench 2 revealed surviving archaeological walls and the probable NW corner tower on the curtain wall. This evidence supports Blair's reconstruction of the castle, and makes Rodwell's interpretation redundant. The main N-S wall uncovered at the southern end of the trench was considered to be a retaining wall for the moat. This wall was substantial, surviving to a depth of 70cm from the existing ground level. Modern waste deposits, thought to be used in C20 levelling, were found.
Trench 3 revealed the moat, shown to be c5.5m in width. Perhaps less defenses were needed on this side of the castle grounds as it was less visible. A drainage trench in Trench 5 probably represents the remains of a channel associated with the medieval moat.
The archaeological evaluation has enable a better understanding of the curtain wall and layout of internal buildings of the castle bailey, proving that the more recent interpretation of the castle by Blair should be considered more accurate than any earlier suggestions.
10) In 1249 Henry III gave the ancient royal manor of Bampton to William de Valence. In 1315 William's son Aymer de Valence obtained a licence to crenellate which undoubtedly refers to the great castle of which fragments still remain. It is unknown whether Aymer's castle was built on the site of an old royal manor house. The standing remains consist of the W gatehouse, a small attached chamber-block, and a short length of curtain wall. The chamber block has an original window and fireplace on the first floor, and the curtain wall contains two deep embrasures for arrow-slits. All details are consistent with an early 14th century date. A sketch made in 1664 by Anthony Wood shows a great palacial façade. Wood stated that the castle was 'built quadrangular' which is confirmed by a map of 1827 and surviving earthwork evidence. The castle is considered remarkable for its early date and for its enormous size; one of the biggest of all English castles in area. Its scale suggests that Aymer may have intended it as the centre of his barony.
11) The survey has confirmed that much of even the more open ground within and near to the
farmyard is heavily disturbed, but has produced findings which are open to at least some limited archaeological interpretation. There is no evidence from the magnetometer survey for a moat in Turf Close, unless it follows or lies outside the existing boundaries. The resistivity findings suggest, but cannot fully confirm, that the survey includes part of the western arm of the moat at H, and that a channel could extend to the east on the line of the extant ditch, taking in the low readings at J, F, G. Trenching (or resistivity profiling) along this line would test this possibility. A linear sequence of resistivity anomalies (K) leaves open the possibility that wall footings could survive in the northwest corner of the castle bailey. The survey has not detected any evidence of structural remains to correspond to the blue reconstruction of the north-eastern corner of the bailey, but ground conditions here are heavily disturbed.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 6" map, 1960 (Map). SOX7.

<2> Local Informant as main provider of information, H A Liddell: A School History of Oxfordshire (1908) (Verbal communication). SOX277.

<3> John Blair, 1999, Bampton Research Papers, Research paper 1 (Serial). SOX479.

<4> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA 9, NL 18 (1988) p.91 and fig p.93 (Serial). SOX5.

<5> various, Primary Record Number cards, Dr John Blair and E Leggatt, 27.4.91 (Unpublished note). SOX5264.

<6> OS Record Card, SP 30 SW 2 (Index). SOX273.

<7> Medieval Archaeology, Vol 32 (1988) pp.268/9 (Serial). SOX318.

<8> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Illustration of 1664 by Anthony Wood with later interpretation, and plan of proposed reconstruction (Index). SOX258.

<9> John Moore Heritage Services, 2012, A Second Phase of Archaeological Evaluation at Ham Court, Bampton, Oxfordshire (Unpublished document). SOX2951.

<10> John Blair, 1988, The Bampton Project, Second Report (Unpublished document). SOX5132.

<11> Bartlett-Clarke Consultancy, 2011, Ham Court, Bampton, Oxfordshire: Report on Archaeological Geophysical Survey 2011 (Unpublished document). SOX6556.

Sources

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