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Designations

• Scheduled Monument () 1015164: Middleton Stoney castle

Monument Type(s):

• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TOWER (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Summary

The monument includes a motte and bailey castle set within an earlier enclosure bank which also includes a Roman building (14106), relocated base of a medieval cross (3886), Post Medieval rabbit warren (29380) and part of the surrounding medieval field system (29381). The site lies within parkland adjacent to All Saint Church c.250m SW of the present village of Middleton Stoney.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

(1) The castle includes an earthen motte built around a stone tower, enclosed by a deep ditch and, to the NW, a later bailey with a bank and ditch enclosing a series of buildings, courtyards and other associated features. Only the earthwork motte, sections of the bank and partly infilled sections of the ditch remain visible at ground level. However, it is known from part excavation during the 1970's that substantial remains survive as buried features.
The tower has 3m thick walls which enclose a rectangular area 10.5m by 7m across. Its walls survive, within the mound of the motte, to 1.3m high, resting on the original ground surface. The tower's long axis runs roughly NW-SE and all four corners are buttressed. Within the width of the wall in the E corner of the tower, a 1.7m by 1.4m wide shaft was found. When excavated this was found to be 3.2m deep and is believed to have been a water tank. A staircase running up the NW side of the motte and then up the outside of the tower on the SE side was also found. The motte was originally circular although it has since been distorted in shape by landscaping. It measuress c.36m in diameter and stands c.4m high. Surrounding it, but no longer visible at ground level, is a broad, flat-bottomed ditch c.5m wide and 3m deep. This ditch provided a quarry for the material of the motte and also contributed to the overall plan of the defences.
The main bailey ditch to the NW measures 5.5m wide and c.15m deep, although it is now mostly infilled. The enclosure measures 70m by 100m across. Within it, excavation has shown that there are a number of buildings, pits,walls and other features which relate to the period of the castle's occupation. Within the bailey are the remains of a medieval standing cross, Listed Grade II and once sited in the adjacent churchyard. The cross includes a square based octagonal socket stone c.0.8m across upon which rests the broken base of an octagonal shaft c.1.5m high. The top of the shaft and the head of the cross are no longer present. It is known to have been one of two standing crosses shown on a farm map of 1737. The whereabout of the other cross is no longer known.
The castle lies to the NW of a small rectangular enclosure aligned NE-SW. This enclosure is defined on three sides by an earthen bank c.10m wide and up to 1.5m above the present ground level. The area enclosed measures c.70m by c.35m. Part excavation has shown that this bank is surrounded by a ditch 3m wide and c.2m deep although it is now largely infilled. Both features were modified during the later landscaping of the park.
The excavations showed that the bank overlay a surface associated with a Roman building, suggesting that the bank is of early medieval date. The building was rectangular in plan with its long axis running NE-SW. It measures 12.5m by 7.9m internally and has walls c.0.5m thick. These were built of limestone with the outer face of dressed blocks and a rubble core. The building had a gulley feature running along it and was later modified. Further Roman structures and sections of wall were found, suggesting that the site was either a farmstead or small villa. To the SE lies a further banked and ditched enclosure which measures 130m from NW to SE and 110m from SW to NE. The bank is c.3m wide and stands up to 1.5m high, above the original ground surface. Its adjacent quarry ditch lies inside the bank and although largely infilled, is known from limited excavation to measure 2.5m wide and 0.7m deep. Pottery evidence dates the ditch fill to the post-medieval period and the enclosure almost certainly defines a warren, recorded in documentary sources, though it may originally have been associated with the castle.
Surrounding the castle and still visible in places, despite later landscaping, are traces of medieval fields and ridge and furrow cultivation. Traces of these extend well beyond the monument but are not visible at ground level immediately adjacent to it. It is known from documentary sources that the castle was probably built by the de Granville family during the late 1100s in a period known as the Anarchy. In 1202 they were granted the right to create an enclosed park but only a few years later, in 1216, there was a royal order for the destruction of the castle. It was visited by Leland in 1530 when the ruins were overgrown but some walls were still visible above ground. It is also documented that Sir Edmund Denton built a banked and walled warren before 1700. Further landscaping, mainly in the C18, has further changed the appearance of the monument to its present form.
Excluded from the scheduling are the fences, churchyard wall and surfaced drive which cross it, although, the land beneath all these features is included
(3) Excavation in 1948 revealed C12th/13th pottery
(4) Large scale excavation began in 1970. Pottery, tiles, bottle and window glass, iron arrowheads and environmental evidence produced. Some published and unpublished sections and plans have been given to Standlake (SVL, 19/06/07).
(5) Following on from excavations in 1970 and 1977 run by OUDCE, a further small excavation was carried out in 1982 in order to solve two outstanding problems: the date and nature of the eastern enclosure, originally thought to be a castle bailey, and the extent of the Roman settlement and its survival under medieval ploughing and if there is a major villa nearby. The excavation was successful in demonstrating the continuation of the Roman settlement to the east and in giving a clearer picture of the bank and main enclosure. A sample from the C12th latrine was analysed by the Oxford Archaeological Environmental Laboratory and found to contain a diverse range of biological material including plant remains and insects
(7) Classified as aristocratic residence (Saxon) and as motte and bailey castle for MPP
(8) Excavation and field work on castle and adjoining square enclosure. Excavation details in excerpt. C2nd Roman structure below turf was found
9) Unpublished plans and sections from 1970's excavations transferred to Standlake; SVL, 04/06/08
15) During June and July 1970 excavations and field work were carried out by the Oxford Delegacy for Extra-Mural Studies in association with the Oxford City and County Museum and Oxford Architectural and Historical Society. The season's work had a two-fold purpose: Firstly to identify the castle bailey, now thought to lie to the NW of the motte, and to investigate any buildings within the defended enclosure. Secondly, to test the suitability of the site for a research project and teaching purposes. A section across the suspected bailey ditch was opened up between the motte and the church and an area within the the square enclosure was excavated
16) Further excavations in 1974 on top of the mound revealed a stone tower with considerable quantities of rubble. The shaft found in 1973 was excavated to bedrock level and identified as a garderobe, containing large quantities of bone and other environmental evidence. The tower and and associated staircase were covered with a layer of destruction debris lending support to documentary evidence of the castle's destruction in first half of the C13th

<1> English Heritage, Scheduled Ancient Monuments Record, SM 28134 (Scheduling record). SOX283.

<2> Victoria County History of Oxford, Vol II, p.325 (Serial). SOX252.

<3> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XXXI (1966) p.155 (Serial). SOX284.

<4> Oxford Architectural & Historical Society, Oxoniensia, Vol XXXVII (1972) pp.109-36 (Serial). SOX284.

<5> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA9 NL 13 (1983) pp.32-3, 153 (Serial). SOX5.

<6> Sebastian Rahtz and Trevor Rowley, 1984, Middleton Stoney - Excavation and Survey in a North Oxfordshire Parish 1970-1982 (Monograph). SOX2615.

<7> MPP Documents for Oxfordshire, S Lisk, 25.3.93 (Index). SOX259.

<8> Medieval Archaeology, Vol XV (1971) p.147. See CAS Lib: West 25 (Serial). SOX318.

<9> HER Map Cabinet, Field Plans and sections from 1970's excavations (Graphic material). SOX326.

<10> Slide Cabinet, 5 in HER; 1970s excavations given to Standlake (Photograph). SOX303.

<11> Additional Information in Detailed Record File, Excavation reports and notes on 1970's excavation, plans, pottery data, and correspondence (Index). SOX258.

<12> Photographic Archive, 1 of silver penny of William I taken in 1973. (Photograph). SOX304.

<13> Black and White print photographs, 12 aerial views of site taken by M Aston in 1973 and 1 of plan of earthworks (undated) (Photograph). SOX315.

<14> Lang Hall Archaeological Consultancy, 2004, LINEAR Angelinos Pumping Station to Ardley Reservoir Mains Reinforcement, Oxfordshire: An Assessment of the Archaeological Implications, Listed in DBA (Unpublished document). SOX1930.

<15> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA9 NL1 (1971) pp.17-18; see also NL 2 (1972) pp.10-12 (Serial). SOX5.

<16> CBA South Midlands Group, South Midlands Archaeology, CBA 9 NL 5 (1975) p.23 (Serial). SOX5.

Sources

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