Reasons for Designation
Ringworks are medieval fortifications built and occupied from the late
Anglo-Saxon period to the later 12th century. They comprised a small defended
area containing buildings which was surrounded or partly surrounded by a
substantial ditch and a bank surmounted by a timber palisade or, rarely, a
stone wall. Occasionally a more lightly defended embanked enclosure, the
bailey, adjoined the ringwork. Ringworks acted as strongholds for military
operations and in some cases as defended aristocratic or manorial settlements.
They are rare nationally with only 200 recorded examples and less than 60
with baileys. As such, and as one of a limited number and very restricted
range of Anglo-Saxon and Norman fortifications, ringworks are of particular
significance to our understanding of the period.
Details
The monument includes a semi-circular earthen bank and outer ditch and the
area within the earthworks in which the remains of stone buildings have been
located. This area forms the southern half of a Norman ringwork castle, the
northern half of which has been incorporated into the churchyard of St
Wilfred's chapel.
The outer ditch is the most easily visible feature. It defines a semi-circle
90m across and takes the form of a ditch some 12m wide and 1.8-2m deep which
is likely to have been water-filled for defence. On the inner edge is a bank
which has been disturbed on the SW side but which survives to some 2.5m in
height to the SE.
A narrow strip of the flat interior area was excavated in 1911, and the
foundations located then were explored further in 1965. They were shown to
be the remains of a strong stone tower 9.5m square, with a second building
6.5m by 5.5m to the east of the tower which was interpreted as a residence.
Other buildings are considered very likely to survive in the interior of the
castle. Finds from the excavation showed that the castle had been built soon
after the Norman invasion of 1066 and had been occupied for less than a
century. They also suggested that the castle had been built on a site which
had seen significant activity in the preceding Anglo-Saxon period.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12887
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
