More information : NZ 1035 3307. The Castles (Camp) [NR] (1)
The Castles is a trapezoidal enclosure covering just over an acre,
with dry-stone rubble walls averaging 16 feet thick and originally 11
ft high. The corners are rounded internally but square externally and
there is only one entrance; in the centre of the east side. A
circular `guard-room' is inserted into the south wall of the entrance
and one observer suggests there are further `hut circles' in the body
of the wall, although this has not been proved. Access to the rampart
walk is provided by a flight of steps projecting from the inner face
of the east wall. Hodgkin, who trenched across the interior and
ramparts in 1909-11 and 1932 found no traces of other structures or
occupation. He did, however, establish a surrounding ditch on the
outside of the enclosure, measuring circa 14 ft wide and separated
from the enclosure wall by a berm approx 24 ft wide. A certain amount
of clearance and restoration work (ie replacing fallen stones) was
also undertaken by him. Plans. Birtey describes the feature as "an
enigmatic structure perhaps best assigned to the sub-Roman period,
though direct evidence for its date is still lacking". Mackenzie and
Ross mention the finding of two flint barbs or arrowheads at The
Castles "about 30 years ago" (circa 1804). (2-4)
See 25" diagram. (5)
The enclosure wall (average width 4.5 m and max height 2.2 m) is
clearly of fort strength. The circumscribing ditch, however, does not
reach comparable proportions, and its shallow irregular profile
together with the width of the berm separating it from the wall
suggest a probable contemporary drainage function. The angular form,
general construction and single sophisticated entrance tend to
support a sub-Roman origin for these remains. Published survey (25")
revised. (6)
Existing survey revised by RCHME during a survey of scheduled
monuments in County Durham.
The site, which lies on a fairly steep, south-facing slope, is
essentially as described by previous authorities but it is also
surrrounded by, and its interior is covered by, ridge-and-furrow. The
ridge-and-furrow in the interior is 3.5 m - 4.2 m wide, well
developed and fairly straight; it is almost certainly late. This rig
is cut by the narrow sinuous excavation trench running from the north
west to the south east corner of the site; this is about 1.3 m wide
with intermittent spoil heaps on either side. The rig is also cut by
a T-shaped trench near the centre of the site; the arm of the T is
about 5.8 m long with the leg extending to the south for about
4.7 m. The arm is up to 1.2 m wide, the leg only about 0.8 m wide.
There is another slight amorphous disturbance to the rig towards the
south east corner of the enclosure but otherwise the rig is the
latest feature on the site. The ridge-and-furrow outside the
enclosure is between 3.7 and 4.6 m wide and fairly straight. The
outer lip of the ditch on the north side of the enclosure has been
over-run and abraded by the ridge-and-furrow. The trenches through
the perimeter walls and surrounding ditches are about 0.8 - 1.1 m
wide and are accompanied by substantial spoilheaps. Clearance of the
inner wallface around the south east corner of the enclosure has left
large spoilheaps and has caused the collapse of sections of the wall.
In places this collapse appears to be continuing.
The so-called steps up to the wall head towards the south corner of
the east wall are extremely narrow at 0.25 - 0.35 m, suggesting that
they might be supports for timber steps rather than steps themselves.
The entrance with its guardchamber is as described but the north
side, which is badly disturbed, is not symmetrical with the south
side.
The gap in the wall at the south west corner does not appear to be
original. (7) Additional references. (7a-7b)
NZ 103 331. "The Castles" (camp). Scheduled No DU/13. (8)
The monument is also visible as earthworks on air photographs examined as part of Project Variation for Durham-Assessment of Archaeological Resource in Aggregate Areas.
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