Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (largely, 12th century to 13th century - 1100 AD to 1299 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument and Grade I Listed Building: Shrewsbury's great fortress, a Norman motte and bailey, built across part of the Saxon town and originally covering more than twice its current area. Surviving remains include the Norman motte and ramparts together with (much restored) 12th-13th century buildings and walls.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA1320 - 1960 field observation by the Ordnance Survey
• ESA1321 - 1985 field observation by English Heritage
• ESA1322 - 1997 WB on trench relocation gas main at Shrewsbury Castle by SCCAS
• ESA3743 - 1996 WB on test holes for sewer repair, Shrewsbury Castle by SCCAS
• ESA5955 - 2005 WB and Excavation at Shrewsbury Castle by Nigel Baker
• ESA5986 - 2004 Dendro dating of timbers from Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury by EH
• ESA6296 - 2009 evaluation along the western side of castle entrance, at Shrewsbury Castle by Border Archaeology
• ESA6386 - 2000 resistivity and GPR survey of Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury by Stratascan
• ESA6441 - 2010 evaluation at Shrewsbury Castle by CAP
• ESA3744 - 1990 auger survey on motte and adjacent to postern gate at Shrewsbury Castle, Shrewsbury by SCCAS
• ESA7487 - 1999 desk-based asessment at Shrewsbury Castle by Marches Archaeology
• ESA7500 - 1986 management survey of collapsed wall, Shrewsbury Castle by SABC
• ESA7888 - 2001 Conservation plan for Shrewsbury Castle by S T Walker & Duckham
• ESA7889 - 2001 DBA and building survey of Shrewsbury Castle by Richard K Morriss
• ESA7890 - 2001 Assessment of the buried archaeology of Shrewsbury Castle by Nigel Baker
• ESA9080 - 2019 Geophysical survey at Shrewsbury Castle, Shropshire by TigerGeo
• ESA9184 - 2019 excavation in the inner bailey of Shrewsbury Castle by Nigel Baker
• ESA9552 - 2020 Excavation on western rampart of Shrewsbury Castle by Nigel Baker
• ESA10513 - 2022 Excavations on the motte and the north curtain wall at Shrewsbury Castle by Nigel Baker

Description

HISTORY: (1) A royal castle was extant by 1068 according to Odericus Vitalis. Possibly begun by William the Conqueror and completed by Roger de Montgomery 1070-83. Fabric of this phase: wall surrounding the courtyard, main entrance arch and stone facing of the mound. (2) Rebuilding c 1300. Great hall constructed during rebuilding. (3) Roofs and floors decayed and only walls remaining temp Eliz I. (4) Civil War. 1642 Walls raised to 10ft, great hall refloored and a new upper storey created by the insertion of a new floor. Main Tower and gateway giving access to the river east of the main building. (5) Restoration by Telford c1790, including the erection of Laura's Tower <1a> (6) Restoration 1926 by Sir Charles Nicholson <1b>

Motte and Bailey. An artificial oval mount 35ft high, the scarp of which merges into the scarp of the hill on the east. The top of the hill provides the bailey, around which a larger portion of the low vallum remains, supporting the foundation of the wall constructed by Roger de Montgomery <1c>
The outer bailey may have extended as far as the Council House. (SA 10226) <1b>
The inner bailey wall is probably of the C12, as is the main gateway, although both have been repaired. The base of the wall enclosing summit of the motte is of the same type. The outer bailey wall probably dates from 1223. The substantial stretch of ashlar with chamfered plinth on the north side of Water Lane represents the south side of the outer bailey. The position of the west side of the bailey is unknown <1d>
Norman Main Gateway. C11 or C12. Illustrated <1e>
Postern. Built to provide access to the river in 1642. A rectangular building, two storeys high with three light mullioned window and rounded arch. OS FI 1960 <1>

Laura's Tower. See SA 10129. Great Hall/Keep. A low basement for stores and a 3 storey tower at each end. Built c 1300. The outer walls were over 8 ft thick and the inner 5 1/2 ft thick <1a>
The medieval details, much recut and modernised, indicate a date of c1300 <1d>

Founded in 1067, rebuilt 1280-1300, restored and altered by Telford in 1787, restored by Sir Charles Nicholson 1926. Red Sandstone. Norman entrance gate and postern. Edwardian drum towers and enceinte walls. Edwardian main hall with battlements, later divided laterally in 3-storeys with 6 Gothic lancets to the 1st storey, the rest of the windows are C17 transomed mullions. C17 pointed arch with foliated capitals. Associated with Henry IV and the Battle of Shrewsbury. The interior has oak beams and an oak and plaster screen and was held by Prince Rupert during the Civil Wars. <2>

In August 1992 the Great Hall was damaged by two terrorist bombs. Structural damage was slight. The seat of one incendiary device was the foot of the screen separating the main Hall from the entrance vestibule. In September 1993 CHAU were commissioned to survey the damaged portions of the screen. <22>

In December 1996 Shropshire County Council Archaeology Service carried out a watching brief on the excavation of two small test holes in the grounds of Shrewsbury Castle. No archaeological features, deposits or artefacts were encountered. Further work was carried out in January 1997, monitoring a trench excavated for the relocation of a gas main. A layer of make-up deposits was recorded, containing brick fragments and fragments of Harnage roof slates. <23><24>

Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1: High score as one of 15 Tower Keep castles; High score as one of 46 Motte and Bailey castles. <25>

UAD ADDITIONAL NOTE: Above text represents SMR entry, unaltered during UAD compilation and inconsistencies left unchanged: it is suggested that dates given for particular stretches of wall are treated with great caution. For further details of individual monuments and sites comprising the castle, including both baileys, see records cross-referenced above. <26>

In January 2005, a watching brief was carried out on the excavation of new drains connecting to the down pipes on the south east side of the Hall at Shrewsbury Castle. There were no period-indicative inclusions or finds although the material did contain a quantity of animal bone and a possible boar’s tusk. <27>

Dendrochronology survey carried out in 2004 on timbers from the Hall Range of Shrewsbury Castle, Shropshire. Construction of the Hall was thought to have begun in AD 1164, although it is commonly accepted that it was rebuilt circa 1280 by Edward I as part of his campaign to fortify the Welsh Border. It was enlarged in 1596 and it is not clear as to whether any of the 12th century timbers remain. 32 timbers were sampled. The earliest felling date identified for a reset timber over a doorway between the east tower and the balcony which forms part of the current roof structure over the Hall. This was most likely felled in the period AD 1184 – 1214. Nine timbers were dated from the stairways at either end of the Hall and these were most likely felled in the period AD 1234 – 49. Five floor beams from the Hall and three timbers from the screen form a single group of timbers with similar date ranges, one of which retained complete sapwood and was felled in the winter of AD 1647/8. <28>

In 2000 geophysical survey was carried out at Shrewsbury Castle using a resistivity and ground penetrating radar. In the southern extent of the bailey, the radar identified a complex subsurface with no obvious discrete features that could be interpreted as a coherent structure. This may represent occupation deposits where no masonry structure was built, only timber buildings. To the north evidence of structural remains of a substantial building were found during the resistivity survey, believed to coincide with the parch marks seen during the summer months. In the same area the radar again showed evidence of much subsurface complexity but little that could be correlated with the suspected foundations. ->

-> The banks on the east and west side of the bailey were identified as made up ground, up to 1.9m deep with the original ground surface beneath. Unknown features were identified within the fill particularly towards the northern end of the west bank. There is some tenuous evidence for a motte ditch, though no similar feature is seen elsewhere as would be expected. A possible large pit, a well or pit, a wall or a path and a near surface dump of conductive material such as ash or clinker were also identified within the area of the bailey. ->

-> On the motte top there were many discrete anomalies characteristic of wall foundations of a building or buildings with several rooms. Defensively, one building makes the most sense and it is possible the foundations are from several phases, supported by some features being deeper than others. Around the western end, a wall may have run around the motte as a defensive feature. A pit and a shallower feature, possible buried metal, were also identified in the area. <29>

Trial trenches located above 'The Dana' on the exterior of the castle's north wall identified no medieval deposits or features. Of the five trenches, four showed intact post-medieval archaeological features, while the fifth showed post-medieval deposits. A wall like feature, identified in Trench 1, probably' represents post-medieval underpinning, possibly part of the works undertaken by Thomas Telford in the late 18th century. In Trench 2 identified a construction cut for a curved brick and stone culvert likely to be of 18th or 19th century date cut into the natural clay. Here the ground levels outside the circular room are not artificially high and do not appear to have been subject to levelling. In Trench 3 a construction cut for 'The Dana' retaining wall was located running parallel with the wall and was found to be partly backfilled with stones. Trench 4 identified evidence of tip lines suggesting the sandy deposit noted in the trench had been banked up against the castle wall, and possibly represented levelling material. Two pits were also cut into this sandy deposit both containing 19th or early 20th century material. Trench 5 identified a compact stony clay layer which appeared to form part of a possible bank deposit, and at the northern end further dumped banked material was encountered. Three further pit features were also identified. <30>

A single evaluation trench, measuring 4x1.2m, was excavated along the western side of the Castle entrance. No deposits pre-dating the post-medieval period were recorded, with extensive post-medieval build up identified. A cobbled post-medieval path was located running approximately N-S, 1.7m below the existing ground level and a single residual piece of medieval floor tile was recovered, probably dating to the 13th-14th centuries. <32>

Photographed during aerial photographic survey, 2007-2009. <33><34>

An auger survey was undertaken of the motte (PRN 62504) and an area around the postern gate (PRN 62512) at the castle in 1990, in association with proposed resurfacing and drainage works. This recorded archaeological deposits at a depth of 300mm in the area of the motte, and potentially significant deposits at 180mm depth within and immediately outside the postern gate. <35>

A programme of documentary research was undertaken to support a conservation plan being prepared as part of a programme of consolidation at the castle in 1999. This involved a rapid appraisal of existing resources. It was identified that more may be discovered in the Pipe Rolls held in the Public Records office, but in the absence of any form of index, the information can only be gained at great expense of time and money. <36>

A management survey was undertaken in 1986 after the collapse of a 6m long section of wall to the immediate E of the Great Hall and a series of proposals were prepared for reconstruction work. This included proposals for increased public access to the castle. <37>

A programme of desk-based assessment and building survey was carried out during the preparation of a conservation plan for Shrewsbury Castle, 1999-2001. The survey drew upon work undertaken by Richard Morriss (ESA 7889) and Nigel Baker (ESA 7890). The desk-based assessment carried out as part of the application was undertaken by Marches Archaeology (ESA 7487). Subsequently, inspection was undertaken of the standing buildings, including of the Keep, Laura's Tower and the postern gate. It also included a programme of rectified photography [although the results were not analysed in detail, the originals are held by Shropshire Archives]. <38>

A programme of desk-based assessment, buildings analysis and survey was carried out in 2001, as part of the preparation of a conservation plan for Shrewsbury Castle (ESA 7888 -see <39>). In tandem with this work, a rectified photographic survey was carried out (not reported on in detail). Report includes a detailed history and analysis of individual standing buildings. <39>

A desk-based assessment and survey was undertaken of the buried archaeology at Shrewsbury Castle in 2001, in conjunction with preparation of a conservation plan for the castle. It complements work undertaken on the standing buildings on the site by Richard Morriss (ESA 7889, see <40>). Contains a detailed history of the development of the castle site. Also includes an archaeological overview of the buildings on the site. <40><40a>

A2 survey drawing of castle, prepared in 2001. <41>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2019, when excavations in the inner bailey (led by Nigel Baker, funded by the Castle Studies Trust) were ongoing. <42>

Geophysical survey (comprising electrical resistance survey and GPR survey) was carried out in 2019 within the castle's inner bailey, as part of a programme of work funded by the Castle Studies Trust. ->

-> This provided good evidence for buildings and everything known from old maps can be accounted for across the two data sets. This includes the exact location of one reputed to be the castle chapel in the western part of the bailey and the location of a second, depicted by Rocque parallel to the western drive, has also been located. The parch marks within the centre of the bailey are now known (post excavation by Dr. Nigel Baker) to relate primarily to an area of natural gravel just under the turf into which have been cut features like flower beds. ->

-> In both geophysical data sets these have a more structural appearance and there remains convincing evidence for structures east of the excavated area. The eastern rampart appears to be of homogeneous build whereas the western one can be shown to have been heavily landscaped after 1882, including the removal of glasshouses likely built upon the remains of the chapel. The motte does appear to have an encircling ditch, since confirmed by excavation, which fits uneasily with the present location of the well, however, this may not be in its original form and it is possible that a second exists beneath the tarmac apron within what in medieval times was presumably an enclosed court. This ditch may have been within a wider band of ground quarried for materials for the motte. <43>

Further to <43>, a trench was excavated in the inner bailey in 2019 by Dr. Nigel Baker, funded by the Castle Studies Trust. This report provides an outline historical introduction to the castle, a brief architectural introduction to the castle (including a description of the standing elements - including curtain walls, motte, great hall, postern gate) and an outline of previous work. See PRN 62507 for more detailed discussion of the excavation results. <44>

A further season of excavation was carried out in the inner bailey in September 2020, examining the western rampart of the Castle. The excavation confirmed the site of Victorian glasshouses, removed in the early 20th century. Beneath was a dump of discarded roof tile, tentatively identified as the result of the demolition of a nearby building range, probably by Thomas Telford in 1786-1790; at least half the height of the rampart in this location was identifiably of post-medieval date. Medieval strata containing 12th to 15th-century pottery continued to the base of the excavation 2.3m below the surface of the rampart and probably derive from one or more landfill events. There was no sign of natural gravel, even below the level at which it was found in the first season trench in the bailey interior in 2019 (see <44>), suggesting that infilling over a natural gradient down to the west had taken place, possibly following an enlargement of the west side of the bailey in the first four decades of the 13th century with further levelling-up in later centuries. <45>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.