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Summary

Launceston Castle dominates the town, and has a classic Norman motte and bailey.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 15005: LAUNCESTON CASTLE MOTTE, BAILEY AND SHELL KEEP
• Conservation Area: LAUNCESTON

Other References/Statuses

• National Mapping Programme (Morph No.): 58.3.1 - .13
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SX38SW 16.1
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 2753
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX38SW 65

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Launceston Castle must have been constructed very soon after the Norman Conquest, for the first record of it is in the Domesday Book in 1086. Throughout the medieval period it was owned by the Earls and later Dukes of Cornwall, forming Cornwall's principal administrative centre between the C11 and C13. In the C13 the town adjoining the castle was also enclosed by a defensive wall. Since 1951 the castle has been in state Guardianship, although is still owned by the Duchy. Between 1961 and 1982 extensive archaeological excavations took place. Results from these are contained in four interim reports, and are also summarised in the English Heritage guidebook. Evidence was found of prehistoric and early medieval occupation, though their full nature and extent were not established. The character and development of the medieval defences has also been revealed. The excavation identified stone based mural towers, probably of the C12. A great density of occupation and well planned layout has been revealed within the bailey. Rows of mostly small oval and rectangular sunken floored structures associated with bar-lug pottery probably housed the original garrison. These were replaced in the late C11 by rows of substantial, closely set stone houses, perhaps halls of the holders of knight's fees "performing their feudal service of castle guard". In a major re-organisation of the C13 by Richard of Cornwall, the Great Hall was rebuilt, and older buildings replaced by a kitchen and another small hall. The defences were also rebuilt. The gatehouses were reconstructed, the bailey rampart was surmounted by a curtain wall and on the motte a tower was built within the C12 shell keep. At the foot of the motte a new ditch was dug, the terrace behind it revetted and a D-shaped tower constructed. From the late C13 the castle declined in importance, after Earl Edmund transferred many of its administrative functions to Lostwithiel. Nonetheless, there was still a considerable complex of buildings there in 1337 when the Earldom of Cornwall became a Dukedom and the Caption of Seisin was drawn up. The Assize Hall and kitchen were mentioned, also the Earl's Hall, a chapel, a guesthouse and treasury, and two prisons. Launceston Castle was, however, retained as a judicial centre and there were prisons here until 1840, when the Assizes were transferred to Bodmin. The castle was then drastically landscaped and turned into a public park. Finally, during World War II, an American military hospital was built in the bailey. The US military hospital can be seen on the RAF photographs (p1). Remains of this have not long been removed. The monument was included in the Schedule on 24/6/1951 and the Scheduling was affirmed on 9/10/1981 and 13/7/1992.
Fragments of a medieval glass beaker were found in the base of a tower in the north gatehouse area in the 1970s (2)
Hillam (1987: 29/87) 'Tree-ring analysis of the two timbers from a posthole of the Norman hall produced a terminus post quem for felling of 1025 from one of the timbers, the other was insufficient for dating (first tree-ring work on cornish timber)(3).

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 13/8/50, CUC FL 13 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21365.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 13/8/50, CUC FL 16 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21355.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 13/8/50, CUC FL 17 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21354.

Saunders, AD, 1964, Launceston Castle: An Interim Report (Article in Journal). SCO2021.

Saunders, AD, 1970, Excavations at Launceston Castle 1965-69: Interim Report (Article in Journal). SCO2019.

Saunders, AD, 1977, Excavations at Launceston Castle 1970-76: Interim Report (Article in Journal). SCO2020.

Saunders, AD, 1982, Launceston Castle Excavations in 1981: an Interim Report (Article in Journal). SCO4326.

Parkes, C, 1988, Launceston Castle (Article in Journal). SCO1726.

Parkes, C, 1988, Launceston Castle, Cornwall - Elevations of Barbican East Wall, West face, and High Tower (Unpublished document). SCO25493.

Thomas, N, 1991, Launceston Castle Floodlighting and other Watching Briefs 1988 - 1991 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO2420.

McDonnell, JG, 1991, The Classification of Slags from Launceston Castle, Cornwall (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1583.

Thomas, N, 1994, An Archaeological Investigation of the Keep Buildings at Launceston Castle, Cornwall (Cornwall Event Report). SCO2430.

Albarella, U & Davis, SJM, 1994, Medieval and Post-medieval Mammal and Bird Bones from Launceston Castle, Cornwall: 1961-1982 Excavations (Report 18/94) 1994 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO122.

Smith, P, 1995, The Fish Bone from Launceston Castle, Cornwall (Report 56/95) 1995 (Cornwall Event Report). SCO2253.

Thomas, N, 1999, Launceston Castle: High Tower Entrance (Cornwall Event Report). SCO2485.

Sturgess, J, 2005, Launceston Castle, Cornwall - Archaeological recording prior to masonry repairs and construction of a new footbridge (Cornwall Event Report). SCO1902.

Taylor, S, 2007, Launceston Castle Lighting Upgrade (Cornwall Event Report). SCO2352.

Pascoe, G.L., 2013, A comparative study assessing the extent to which coastal communities changed their exploitation of the marine environment from the Anglo Saxon to the Late Medieval Period in Cornwall, Devon and Kent (Unpublished document). SCO27448.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 24/6/52, CUC HV 43 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21357.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 26/6/55, CUC QE 60 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21353.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 26/6/55, CUC QE 62 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21352.

Cambridge University Centre for Aerial Photography, 28/4/66, CUC ANM 2 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21372.

NMR, 29/6/72, NMR 3384 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21435.

NMR, 29/6/72, NMR 3384 (Aerial Photograph). SCO21445.

<1> UNKNOWN, 1900, AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS IN THE INFORMATION FILE! (Unedited Source). SCO6884.

RAF, 1949, 540/226/ 5082 & 83 (Photographic Record). SCO12904.

OSP, 1979, OS 79076/205 & 206 (Photographic Record). SCO16692.

<2> Tyson, R, 2001, Medieval Glass Vessels Found in England cAD1200–1500, 90 (Bibliographic reference). SCO24032.

<3> Hillam, J, 1987, Launceston castle: Tree-ring analysis 29/87 (Report). SCO25983.

<4> ENGLISH HERITAGE, 1990, Ancient monuments laboratory reports (Report). SCO25989.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO7941 - (Undated)
• FCO7731 - BEAKER (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FCO7942 - HUMAN REMAINS (18th Century - 1701 AD to 1800 AD)

Associated Events

• ECO1231 - Launceston Castle
• ECO1252 - Launceston Castle
• ECO1632 - Launceston Castle Floodlighting
• ECO1746 - Launceston Castle, High Tower
• ECO1768 - Launceston Castle (Ref: Report 56/95)
• ECO1769 - Launceston Castle (Ref: Report 18/94)
• ECO1770 - Launceston Castle
• ECO2153 - Launceston Castle lights upgrade
• ECO2234 - Launceston Castle
• ECO2632 - Launceston Castle Masonry repairs & footbridge WB
• ECO380 - Launceston Castle Keep
• ECO916 - Launceston Castle Shell Keep
• ECO963 - Launceston Castle Barbican
• ECO3797 - Launceston Castle Barbican
• ECO3953 - Launceston Castle Excavations in 1981.
• ECO4094 - petrological examination (Ref: so25989)
• ECO4107 - Launceston Castle: Tree-ring Analysis (Ref: 29/1987)
• ECO4531 - Launceston Castle Fence, Cornwall (Ref: 2016R012)
• ECO5837 - Launceston Castle, Launceston, Cornwall, Report on Geophysical Surveys, January 2022 (Ref: 56-2022)

Related records: none recorded

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