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Summary

Remains of the northern and western sides of a large rectangular enclosure about 300ft by 600ft

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOUND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (15th century to 16th century - 1401 AD to 1600 AD)
• DITCH (15th century to 16th century - 1401 AD to 1600 AD)
• DITCH (12th century - 1101 AD to 1200 AD)
• DITCH (13th century to 14th century - 1201 AD to 1400 AD)
• PIT (13th century to 14th century - 1201 AD to 1400 AD)
• WELL (13th century to 14th century - 1201 AD to 1400 AD)
• PIT (12th century - 1101 AD to 1200 AD)
• BEAM SLOT (13th century to 14th century - 1201 AD to 1400 AD)

Associated Finds:

• NAIL (Undated)
• WHETSTONE (Undated)
• END SCRAPER (Prehistoric - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• FLAKE (Prehistoric - 500000 BC to 42 AD)
• ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BROOCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BUCKLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CEREAL GRAIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOLLUSCA REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SHERD (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• COIN (18th century to 19th century - 1701 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Events:

• Excavation at Swavesey Castle, 1985
• Evaluation at Swavesey Castle, 1990 (Ref: SWA-90)
• AP assessment, Swavesey, 1990
• Evaluation in 24 Taylor's Lane, Swavesey, 2001
• Excavation of Swavesey Village Ditch, 1984
• Topographic survey, evaluation and excavation at land adjacent to 22/24 Taylor's Lane, Swavesey in 2014 (Ref: SWATAY14)

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument () 1006913: 'Castle Hill' earthworks

Full description

2. Castle Hill, W of the village street in Church End. The surviving remains consist of the northern and western sides of a large rectangular enclosure, about 300ft by 600ft. The bank which surrounded this enclosure has completely disappeared on the E side, and on the N and W varies in height, averaging from 4ft to 6ft from the level of the enclosure and from 7ft to 9ft above the water-level in a marshy moat, about 12ft wide, which goes round the outside. There appears to have been a second rectangular enclosure to the S, the W bank of which is parallel to that of the northern enclosure but some 75ft farther W. At the return of this bank towards the main enclosure there is a mound some 10ft high, of obscure purpose, but certainly not a motte. The area formerly enclosed by the banks is partially occupied by buildings on the E side, and to the W the ground is cut up by a number of shallow gravel diggings. All the works are made of gravel and this has contributed to their irregular and decayed state.

May 1973. Site Visit. Under grass can been seen the remains of ridge and furrow, much dug into for gravel, but still identifiable. The mutilations of the southern and likely more important feature can also be attributed to gravel workings; the missing part of the west bank, almost certain partial removal of the north west mound and the large central hollow. The mound had a target trench dug into it during the last war and now the top is riddled with holes dug by children. Nothing of interest was seen in the exposed gravel. Published 25in survey revised.

February 1983. Site Visit. The remains of two adjacent rectangular enclosures. Only the north and west sides of the northernmost (300ft by 600ft) remain in banks 7ft high from the bottom of the 3ft outer ditch. At the junction of this bailey with the southern one, the banks have been cut by the road. At the west corner of the south enclosure there is an irregular mound and bank between 10ft and 15ft high, mutilated by shacks, water tank etc. The whole site has been much spoilt by market gardening and gravel digging. The north enclosure is under rough pasture. In the south part to the north of Taylors Lane, a barn stands in the corner of the scheduled area. East of this structure is a Modern house and garden with next to it another house, partially completed. In the north part of the enclosure several earthworks of an indeterminate nature can be seen, comprising a roughly rectangular enclosure with several waterfilled depressions. The bank is visible to north and west but seems to have been flattened in the area of the barn. The field is boggy, especially to south east. Earthworks were noted in field to north of scheduled area. The mound in the south enclosure to the west is grass covered and mown, forming part of the garden of the house to the east. It supports two dying elms and some hawthorn. The bank stretching south is again incorporated in the garden for approximately half its length. Conifers have been planted along the top of the bank. There is a dump of corrugated iron and domestic rubbish in the middle of this section and the remainder of the bank is covered in rough grass and scrub. The bank is surrounded by a wet area narrow to the north but broadening to the west. This does not appear to be included in the scheduled area, but this is difficult to ascertain from the small scale maplet.

4. The mound at Swavesey has probably been much reduced by gravel robbing, and as it remains is comparable only to smallest motte. Its defences are integral with those of the town. Flood maps suggest it had a relatively limited function of commanding only spot where wedge of dry land approaches town in time of flood. Probably built by de la Zouch family in 13th century as emergency against Barons in Isle of Ely who had burnt their corn etc. The area enclosed was bigger than ever needed for development in Medieval times.

6. Ridge and furrow within runs parallel to the west bank and also north of the north ditch, with the same orientation.

8 and 9. An excavation through the Medieval ditch surrounding Swavesey by D Haigh for Cambridgeshire County Council provided an open section of ditch deposits suitable for environmental analysis.The site was found to contain a diverse range of sub-fossils. Two trenches were excavated which confirmed the line of the ditch and associated bank and produced finds which suggested a 13th century date for its construction. The environmental evidence showed that the ditch had been kept fairly clean and normally held standing water. It may also have acted as a flood defence before being partly filled in during the fifteenth century. Further excavation in 1985 in the "outer bailey" showed no signs of occupation.

10. Trial excavation carried out in accordance with SMC conditions in advance of possible development. Within the Blackhorse Lane area were found major features of C11 -C13. The high density of finds would suggest occupation, though features possibly relating to a defensive enclosure were also found. In westernmost Amen Corner field a well preserved agricultural landscape was found, with ponds, ridge and furrow and ditches. The furrows are approx 7m across, the distance between c 13m and c 0,3m high. See Excavation Report for full details and list of finds. Function: military Finished? yes Occupation: ?Relationship to surrounding integral part of village settlements defences

11. An evaluation within the town defence and castle earthworks (SAM 20421) revealed evidence of settlement dating to 3 periods: pre-12th C, 12-early 13th C (late Saxo-Norman), and 13-14th C. The 300 year period represented spans the known expansion of Swavesey during this period. 4 pieces of worked flint were also found.

12. An evaluation found a considerable density and complexity of features from the LIA, L Saxon, Saxo-Norman and Medieval periods in the Northern part of the site (on gravels). Other trenches in the S & W part of the site revealed a substantial ditch crossing the site from SE-NW in the W part of the site, and extending northwards. This was identified previously (1997), and appears to represent a continuation of the defensive line of the castle bailey, which lies adjacent and to the north. The ditch may therefore be the line of the medieval town ditch.

13. This small excavation revealed two features, possibly natural, and no finds.

15. Scheduled Monument Consent granted regarding the errection of a detatched dwelling and garage, minor amendments to access, landscaping and subdivision of existing plot.

17. At some stage early in the Middle Ages Swavesey had a castle. It consisted of a mound that has been heavily degraded by quarrying and erosion, and a low bank and ditch that were later incorporated in the town defences. The mound is sited at the beginning of a causeway that led into the fens, and it must have intended to prevent access at some point.

18, 19 & 20. The probable location of Swavesey Castle and the port town defences are visible as earthworks on air photographs and lidar. The castle is defined by a rectangular enclosure, measuring approximately 95 metres by 133 metres, now partly built upon. The enclosure, centred at TL 3593 6891, is defined by a moat with internal bank, only the north and west faces of which survive. To the immediate north is a further 'L' shaped water channel with internal bank, possibly forming an outer bailey to the castle and/or part of the port town defences. The remaining town defences are recorded separately. This latter earthwork encloses medieval ridge and furrow and a series of later extractive pits, presumably for gravel. Further medieval features to the immediate south, which have been recorded separately may be associated with the castle as part of the wider settlement. The features are extant on the latest 2010 lidar and 2008 vertical photographs, though elements are obscured by dense tree cover.

23. Programme of archaeological investigation 2014 included a topographic survey, evaluation and excavation. The topgraphic survey identified a series of banks across the site, however, their relationship is unclear at this stage. The investigation comprised an initial evaluation of three trenches, excavation and a watching brief in 2014. Five phases of activity were identified.

The earliest phase of activity dates to the 12th century and consists of only minimal activity comprising a large ditch that may represent the bailey ditch of the castle along with a small number of smaller ditches and pits. The substantial ditch was encountered along the the southern edge of the excavation on an east-west alignment measuring in excess of 2.35m wide and at least 1.96m deep. Finds included 12th century pottery and animal bone. Two parallel ditches on a northeast-southwest alignment were also identified in the northern part of the site.

The second phase of activity dates to the 13th-14th centuries and is characterised by a small number of pits and ditches overlying the earlier features. A third parallel ditch was added in the northern part of the site with a well at the western end while pits were identified across the site.

Period 3 dates to the 15th-16th centuries and is characterised by the addition of a ditched and banked enclosure formed by two banks - bank 72 on a north-south alignment and bank 80 on an east-west alignment, forming an enclosure thought to measure 50m by 35m. Discrete features included a ditch, a possible beam slot and four pits.

Period 4 activity dates to the late 16th-18th century. No datable finds were associated with this phase and features appear to be primarily agricultural suggesting a period of limited use.

Period 5 dates to the 19th-20th century, the primary activity at this stage is the infilling of the substantial ditch from phase 1 and the expansion of Taylor's Lane.

Subsequent monitoring of the site identified a number of additional features include a ditch and bank and evidence of a perimeter fence.

<1> Clark, G.T., 1881, Arch J 38, p. 268 (Article in serial). SCB1046.

<2> Salzman, L.F (ed), 1948, The Victoria County History of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. Volume 2, 315 - 319 (plan) (Bibliographic reference). SCB14649.

<3> 1958, OS 6 inch map (Map). SCB8934.

<4> Ravensdale, J. R., 1984, Swavesey, Cambridgeshire: a Fortified Medieval Planned Market Town. PCAS 72: 55-8 (Article in serial). SCB10934.

<5> Taylor, A., Castles of Cambridgeshire (Bibliographic reference). SCB19242.

<6> CCC Planning AP, 1969 68, 69, 061 (Aerial Photograph). SCB2349.

<7> CUCAP APs, 23/04/1963 AGW 35 - 36,31/01/1977 K17-AR 25 - 26, 24/03/1982, RC8-EC 30 - 31 and 133135, 11/05/1982 RC8 - EC 130 (Aerial Photograph). SCB4022.

<8> 1984 - 1985, Cambridgeshire Archaeological Committee Annual Report, p. 12, (A Alderton) (Serial). SCB1780.

<9> Haigh, D., 1984, Excavation of the Town Ditch at Swavesey, 1984. PCAS 73: 45-53 (Article in serial). SCB10968.

<10> Evans, C., 1990, Archaeological Investigations at Swavesey, Cambridgeshire (Unpublished report). SCB1225.

<11> Whittaker, P., 2001, An archaeological evaluation at 24 Taylor's Lane, Swavesey, Cambridgeshire (Unpublished report). SCB17178.

<12> Roberts, J., 1998, Iron Age and Medieval activity at Blackhorse Lane, Swavesey (Unpublished report). SCB17179.

<13> James, N., Excavation at Swavesey Castle (SAM 37, RN 01772, TL35906905), January 7-11, 1985 (Unpublished report). SCB18766.

<14> Maekawa, K., Sakai, H., Uno, T. and Kaner, S., 1995, Swavesey. Geophysical Survey at Blackhorse Lane 1994. Interim Report (Unpublished report). SCB18147.

<15> Scheduled Monument Consent documentation (Scheduling record). SCB18066.

<16> Palmer, R., 1990, Aerial Photographic Evidence (Unpublished report). SCB18818.

<17> Taylor, A., 1998, Archaeology of Cambridgeshire, Vol.2: South East Cambridgeshire and the Fen Edge, p.86 (Bibliographic reference). SCB21794.

<18> SW Cambridgeshire project 2014 (NHPP), 2016, RAF/CPE/UK/1952 RP 3012 25-MAR-1947, 1587538 (Unpublished report). SCB47968.

<19> SW Cambridgeshire project 2014 (NHPP), 2016, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery TL3569 14-AUG-2013, 1587538 (Unpublished report). SCB47967.

<20> SW Cambridgeshire project 2014 (NHPP), 2016, LIDAR TL3569 DTM 16-OCT-2010, 1587538 (Geospatial data). SCB47969.

<21> Seaman, B.H., Field Investigator Comments (Verbal communication). SCB61886.

<22> Dickson, R., Field Investigator Comments (Verbal communication). SCB60613.

<23> Gilmour, N., 2015, Medieval Earthworks adjacent to Swavesey Castle Excavation Report (Unpublished report). SCB68140.

Sources and further reading

Documents

Related documents and web pages

• https://library.thehumanjourney.net/4153/

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