See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The outer bailey of Barnstaple Castle was bounded by Tuly Street and Holland Street.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1385248: ENTRANCE GATES AND GATE PIERS AND ADJACENT WALLS TO PARK AT CASTLE MOUND
• Listed Building (II) 1385087: 17, CASTLE STREET
• Listed Building (II) 1385247: CASTLE LODGE INCLUDING SUNDIAL
• Scheduled Monument 1020922: Barnstaple Castle
• Scheduled Monument 1020922: Barnstaple Castle
• Listed Building (II) 1385087: 17, CASTLE STREET
• Listed Building (II) 1385247: CASTLE LODGE INCLUDING SUNDIAL
• Listed Building (II) 1385248: ENTRANCE GATES AND GATE PIERS AND ADJACENT WALLS TO PARK AT CASTLE MOUND

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS53SE/43/4
• Old SAM County Ref: 255
• Old SAM Ref: 33062
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS53SE14

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BAILEY (XI to Late Medieval - 1001 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

Wood, J., 1843, Plan of the Town of Barnstaple from Actual Survey (Cartographic). SDV91852.

Oliver, B. W., 1928, The Castle of Barnstaple, 215-223 (Article in Serial). SDV73002.

The castle had two baileys, the outer one being bounded by Tuly Street and Holland Street a fragment of wall with mooring posts called 'Quay Wall' aligned on this bailey, was found when building the police station to the south of Barnstaple Castle.

Ministry of Works, 1950, Barnstaple Castle (Schedule Document). SDV73985.

Miles, T., 1974, News Bulletin No. 2 (Article in Serial). SDV344486.

Miles, T., 1974, News Bulletin No. 3 (Article in Serial). SDV344487.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 71 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

Department of Environment, 1983, Barnstaple Castle (Schedule Document). SDV344491.

Scheduled area of Barnstaple Castle extended to include more of the outer bailey.

North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit, 1986, An Excavation at North Devon Area Library Site, Barnstaple; Summary Report (Report - Excavation). SDV76038.

North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit, 1986, An Excavation at North Devon Area Library Site, Barnstaple; Summary Report (Report - Excavation). SDV76038.

Miles, T. J., 1986, The Excavation of a Saxon Cemetery and Part of the Norman Castle at North walk, Barnstaple, 71-73 (Article in Serial). SDV73913.

A deposit representing the truncated base of a substantial rampart was found above a layer of buried turf during excavations to the north of 'The Castle' in 1972-1975. The rampart comprised layers of clay, silt and stones quarried from the adjacent moat. It appears to have originally been timber fronted, later re-fronted in stone. The size of the moat is unknown but the excavations showed that it was large, extending well below the high water mark. To prevent material slumping into the moat a berm 4-5 metres wide was left between them.

Lee, E., 1987, Old Castle Lane, ND107 (Report - non-specific). SDV319608.

Lovatt, A. M., 1990, Excavations within a Medieval Town: North West Barnstaple 1985-1988, 4, 5 (Report - Excavation). SDV64370.

The ditches of Barnstaple Castle were examined during excavations in advance of a new library on the Dornat Factory site in Tuly Street. An irregular ditch running parallel to Tuly Street was interpreted as the Outer Bailey ditch. Primary and secondary fills (stony and pure clays respectively) were both aceramic. On the eastern edge was a more regular cut. Its aceramic fills were cut by a 13th century pottery kiln. The ditch was sealed by a clay/silt layer containing large quantities of potter waste clearly derived from the kiln.

Lovatt, A. M., 1990, The Excavation of Three Post-Medieval Pottery Kilns at Barnstaple 1986-1987 (Report - Excavation). SDV319605.

Higham, R. A. + Freeman, J. P., 1996, Devon Castles (Draft Text), Gazetteer (Monograph). SDV354350.

Exeter Archaeology, 2001, Archaeological Assessment and Building Recording at Commercial Road, Barnstaple, 2, 11, Fig. 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV73888.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2002, Barnstaple Castle (Schedule Document). SDV342276.

Part of the outer bailey of Barnstaple Castle is included in the scheduled area.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, Barnstaple Castle Car Park Scheme: Phase 1: Archaeological Assessment, 11, Fig. 7 (Report - Assessment). SDV319631.

Possibly the outer bailey ditch. The infilled ditch was later used as a trackway which later became 'Tuly Street'.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Dean, R., 2017, Barnstaple Castle, Barnstaple: Geophysics (Report - Survey). SDV360284.

This report was commissioned by North Devon Council. Magnetometer, resistance and ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were completed to inform upon the buried remains at Barnstaple Castle. The outer and inner castle baileys are now mainly urban parkland and were subject to magnetometer and resistance surveys. The tarmac carpark, which includes part of the former outer bailey and areas out with the scheduled monument, was subject to a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey. The top of the motte was subject to surveys using all three techniques.

The parkland, formerly parts of the inner and outer baileys and part of the moat, was the subject of magnetometer and resistance surveys. Evidence for the location, structure and demolition of Castle House, situated in this area between at least 1684 to 1976, was recorded in both surveys. The resistance survey highlighted anomalies likely to represent wall footings and floors. Both surveys recorded anomaly groups that may reflect the archaeological excavation that took place in this area between 1972 and 1975. The magnetometer survey recorded the likely position of a known well, capped with an iron or steel cover.

The tarmac carpark was formerly part of the outer bailey and was subjected to a GPR survey. The deposits beneath the tarmac were found to be highly disturbed by services, and by the construction and demolition of market buildings and earlier structures. Services and surface materials dominated the data to the north. On the eastern side, the data implied that a significant component of made-up ground was present, which may possibly be partly historic in origin. Here too, patched surfaces and services dominated the data. To the south, several small structural elements such as bits of masonry and spreads of rubble were represented in
the data. Historic maps of the area do not record structures here but it is proposed that they are fragmented remains associated with the rear of lost burgage plots extending into the site from the south. There was much near-surface disturbance in the data collected within the south-western area of the carpark, which is likely to reflect the erection and removal of relatively recent structures such as pens and other associated infrastructure from the former sheep market.

Timms, S. C., 21/10/1982, Barnstaple Castle Motte (Personal Comment). SDV90020.

This area is now occupied by cattle market and a large new car park. A number of buildings, including all those on the Holland Street frontage, were demolished in advance of car parking. Ground levels were also changed in 1979 and services put in but no records of these changes were made. Wood's plan of 1843 shows a curving property boundary which may be indicative of bailey's extent. None of the 1970s excavations were sited in this area.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, Unknown, SS53SE14 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV73910.

Site visit: 15th October 1953. The course of the outer bailey of Barnstaple Castle mound was bounded by Tuly Street and Holland Street. Cattle market and modern buildings occupy the site. No visible traces.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV319605	Report - Excavation: Lovatt, A. M.. 1990. The Excavation of Three Post-Medieval Pottery Kilns at Barnstaple 1986-1987. North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV319608	Report - non-specific: Lee, E.. 1987. Old Castle Lane, ND107. North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit Report. No 5. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV319631	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. Barnstaple Castle Car Park Scheme: Phase 1: Archaeological Assessment. Exeter Archaeology Report. 03.62. A4 Stapled + Digital. 11, Fig. 7.
SDV341346	Report - Survey: Timms, S. C.. 1976. The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft. Devon Committee for Rescue Archaeology Report. A4 Unbound + Digital. 71.
SDV342276	Schedule Document: Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 2002. Barnstaple Castle. The Schedule of Monuments. A4 Stapled.
SDV344030	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2010. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #81294 ]
SDV344486	Article in Serial: Miles, T.. 1974. News Bulletin No. 2. Barnstaple Excavations 1974: News Bulletin. 2. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV344487	Article in Serial: Miles, T.. 1974. News Bulletin No. 3. Barnstaple Excavations 1974: News Bulletin. 3. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV344491	Schedule Document: Department of Environment. 1983. Barnstaple Castle. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap.
SDV354350	Monograph: Higham, R. A. + Freeman, J. P.. 1996. Devon Castles (Draft Text). Devon Castles. A4 Unbound + Digital. Gazetteer.
SDV360284	Report - Survey: Dean, R.. 2017. Barnstaple Castle, Barnstaple: Geophysics. Substrata. 1702BAR-R-1. Digital.
SDV64370	Report - Excavation: Lovatt, A. M.. 1990. Excavations within a Medieval Town: North West Barnstaple 1985-1988. North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit Report. A4 Grip Bound + Digital. 4, 5.
SDV73002	Article in Serial: Oliver, B. W.. 1928. The Castle of Barnstaple. Transactions of the Devonshire Association. 60. A5 Hardback. 215-223.
SDV73888	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 2001. Archaeological Assessment and Building Recording at Commercial Road, Barnstaple. Exeter Archaeology Report. 01.28. A4 Stapled + Digital. 2, 11, Fig. 2.
SDV73910	Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card: Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division. Unknown. SS53SE14. Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card. Card Index.
SDV73913	Article in Serial: Miles, T. J.. 1986. The Excavation of a Saxon Cemetery and Part of the Norman Castle at North walk, Barnstaple. Proceedings of the Devon Archaeological Society. 44. Paperback Volume. 71-73.
SDV73985	Schedule Document: Ministry of Works. 1950. Barnstaple Castle. The Schedule of Monuments. Foolscap.
SDV76038	Report - Excavation: North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit. 1986. An Excavation at North Devon Area Library Site, Barnstaple; Summary Report. North Devon District Council Rescue Archaeology Unit Report. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV90020	Personal Comment: Timms, S. C.. 21/10/1982. Barnstaple Castle Motte. Not Applicable.
SDV91852	Cartographic: Wood, J.. 1843. Plan of the Town of Barnstaple from Actual Survey. Unknown.
	Linked images:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV1378 - Barnstaple Castle Car Park Scheme Archaeological Assessment
• EDV4504 - Excavation at Library Site in Barnstaple
• EDV1377 - Excavation of Post-Medieval Pottery Kilns at Barnstaple
• EDV7313 - Geophysics: Barnstaple Castle, Barnstaple (Ref: 1702BAR-R-1)

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