Castle Combe Castle
Unsurprisingly the village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire owes part of its name to an unsual motte and bailey castle situated on a spur of limestone close to the village. Although no excavation has taken place at the site, it is generally thought that most of the earthworks and masonary date to the 'anarchy period' of the twelfth century.
Clearing and recording the remains of a masonary structure dating to the 12th century by Cotswold Archaeology
We began surveying the site over a year ago in order to produce an accurate digital terrain model that could be used to analyse the site and provide a display for visitors to the Castle Combe Museum. Surveying conditions are tough - most of the site is wooded and many areas have dense blackthorn thickets, in addition warm weather brings tick infestations. We still have some way to go with our survey but the image below represents most of the interior of the site.
Digital terrain model of the interior of the motte and bailey(s) highlighting the earthworks
Wiltshire County Council and English Heritage are currently supporting work aimed at conservation and consolidation of fragile masonry remains possibly representing the base of a keep tower. Cotswold Archaeology was recently commissioned to carry out clearance of rubble within the base of the structure and to record the walls prior to any consolidation works.
The site is unusual in having a keep with at least four and possibly five baileys. It has been suggested that a former earthwork such as an Iron Age fortification has been utilised by the Norman barons of Castle Combe although there is no strong archaeological evidence to support this. Our survey does suggest, however, several phases of expansion perhaps occurring within a relatively short period followed by complete abandonment within the medieval period.
All text and images © David Sabin & Kerry Donaldson
