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Designations

• Scheduled Monument () 1014749: Deddington Castle

Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1100 AD)
• CASTLE (Medieval - 1101 AD to 1200 AD)

Summary

Includes a C11 motte and bailey castle and a C12 enclosure castle. Central part of the site is in the care of the Secretary of State. Impressive earthworks. C11 pottery found in 1940s excavations

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

(1) The motte and its W bailey survive as an impressive group of earthworks, with the enclosure castle built into the NE corner. The latter remains visible as a series of low banks and hollows within an enclosing ditch. To the E, a second bailey, which encloses a number of platforms and extends down to the stream in the valley bottom, is visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. The motte survives as a small stone and earthen mound, the E half of which was cut away during the construction of the stone enclosure castle. However, the W half survives to its original height of c.3m above the interior of the bailey and its summit is known from excavation and survey to have originally measured c.25m across.
The main bailey extends to the W of the motte which lies in its E corner. It encloses a level area c.170m N-S and c.240m E-W. Its surrounding bank stands up to 2.5m above the interior and has a level rampart top c.2.5m wide. Its outer slope is enhanced by a broad ditch c.15m wide and up to 3m deep. This gives the outer face of the rampart a 5m deep drop from top of bank to base of ditch. Finds of late C11 pottery and compacted earthen floor surfaces were found across the interior of the bailey during excavations carried out in the 1940s. The ditch and bank is interrupted in two places: an entrance to the W end which measures c.10m wide and a further 9m wide entrance in the NE corner.
By the late C12, an enclosure castle of stone construction had been built into the E corner of the W bailey. This was roughly kite-shaped with square based towers on the wall line to the N and E, on the former motte, and a larger gatehouse tower to the W. Excavations have shown that in addition, the enclosure contained a series of timber and stone buildings including a hall, kitchens, solar, stables, a well, latrine pits and a chapel. These were added in several stagaes of construction works during the 1100s. All of these buildings had gone out of use by the C14 and the stone from the ruins was subsequently taken to build other properties in the village. However, as part excavation revealed, the foundations, floor levels and lower courses of masonry survive buried below the present ground level.
To the E a further bailey runs down the slope of the valley. This is roughly equal in area to the main bailey and the two lie end on with the early motte at the centre. Although this second bailey has been under cultivation, it can be seen on aerial photographs and its banks appear on Ordnance Survey maps drawn before the 1960s. At the E end the ditch has been used to form the line of a stream and two large depressions shown on the aerial photographs may be late medieval fishponds or quarries used in the building of the castle. Further platforms and earthworks within the bailey show the locations of building platforms and sub-divisions related to the castle's functions. Aerial photographs taken during World War II show two broad parallel hedge boundaries across the main bailey of the castle, forming a drive from the W entrance to the inner bailey. These late features were removed by the 1970s.
It was suggested by the excavator that the early motte and bailey castle may have been built by Bishop Odo, the brother of William de Chesney who is thought to be responsible for the building of the stone enclosure castle. By AD 1310 it was referred to as 'a weak castle in which is a chamber' but it was used two years later to imprison Piers Gaveston until he was removed by the Earl of Warwick. In 1530 it was long abandoned but ruins remained above ground so that Leland could report 'ther hath been a castle here'. Among the excavated remains, the finds included one of the earliest black rat skeletons found in Britain.
Excluded from the scheduling are the post and wire boundary fences, gate posts and boundary walls forming the edge of the protected area and lying within it. Also excluded is the pavilion on the football pitch and the goal posts although the ground beneath these is included in the scheduling
(2) Outer bailey, c.8.5 acres, surrounded by large bank and ditch, single to north & west, double to south, existed pre-C11th. In C12th inner bailey, polygonal enclosure or c.1 acre inserted. Early C12th curtain wall 7.5' thick. Hall of c.1160 built over site of earlier timber structure. Solar added later. Between hall and solar a latrine pit. Also chapel, well, gatehouse, kitchen, tower, barns and stables. Dovecote mentioned 1310. Documentary evidence indicates decay by later C13th/14th. 1377 Bicester priory bought quantities of stone from the site
(2a) Excavations between 1947-49 were mainly concentrated on the gatehouse, the hall undercroft and the chapel. Eight successive floors under the L-shaped building pre-dating the hall were cleared completely: these belonged to a small semi-underground structure cut into the ironstone. The stratification here, with its associated finds, yielded much valuable evidence for the dating of medieval pottery. Remains of a C12th (Norman) chapel, including the chancel arch -bases, were found beneath the C13th one
(5) Deddington Castle may have been the caput of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux
(6) Evaluation consisted of 5 trenches; no finds recovered, linear features, probably representing ridge and furrow, were observed in 3 of the 5 trenches
(9) Interim report and plan of earthworks produced by Mark Bowden, English Heritage. One new feature is small rectangular platform, probably a building platform
(10) Reduced vegetation meant that southern corner of enclosure was surveyed thoroughly. The overall shape reinforces the view that the enclosure is sub-rectangular
(15) Between 1947 and 1951, Jope carried out a series of rescue excavations at Deddington Castle. Between 1977 and 1979 the Dept of the Environment and the Archaeology Dept of the Queen's University, Belfast carried out a short research excavation to complete the investigations. See report for results
(16) Western bailey owned by Parish Council. Inside of ramparts to be cleared of trees and scrub and cut in wider grass cutting regime. Imminent

<1> English Heritage, Scheduled Ancient Monuments Record, SM 21807 (Scheduling record). SOX283.

<2> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XI/XII (1946-7) pp.167-8 (Serial). SOX284.

<2a> Ashmolean Museum, 1949, Oxfordshire Archaeological Society, Report No 87. See CAS Lib: West 27 (Serial). SOX2884.

<3> Victoria County History of Oxford, Vol II, p.324 (Serial). SOX252.

<4> General reference, Colvin: History of Deddington (Bibliographic reference). SOX373.

<5> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XLIX (1984) p.101. 'Deddington Castle, Oxon and the English honor of Odo of Bayeux' (Serial). SOX284.

<6> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1992, Watching brief at Deddington Transfer Main (Unpublished document). SOX858.

<8> General reference, Historical overview compiled by M Langford, OUDEC added to SMR by S Lisk, 21.8.00 (Bibliographic reference). SOX373.

<9> General reference, Mark Bowden, OUDCE surveys 2001 - 2005; added to SMR by S Lisk, 6.2.04. See DRF (Bibliographic reference). SOX373.

<10> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Survey plans in DRF (Index). SOX258.

<11> Black and White print photographs, 1 aerial view taken in 1972-3, 2 from ground (?1968) 1 plan of castle and 15 of excavation (1978?) (Photograph). SOX315.

<12> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Jope's notes, plans and section of kitchen floors (Index). SOX258.

<14> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, Vol 23 (1993) p.69-70 (Serial). SOX5.

<15> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA9 NL 13 (1983) pp.35-41 (Serial). SOX5.

<16> Field Notes/Field Visit, Info from Dan Bashford, 22.4.2010. See Attached File (Unpublished document). SOX261.

Sources

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