Newton St Loe

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; St Loes Castle

In the civil parish of Newton St Loe. In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Bath and North East Somerset, 1974 county of Avon).

Fortified manor house and deer park, occupied possibly from C12, on the site of a Medieval manor. The fortified manor house consisted of a rectangular courtyard with square corner towers and connecting ranges behind a curtain wall, surrounded on at least three sides by a ditch. Excavation has identified three main Medieval building phases, the principal one being during the first quarter of C14, and a ceramic sequence from C12/13 to C18. The gatehouse was built in the mid C15. During C16 alterations were made to the defences and domestic buildings. The mound lying north of the keep was proved by excavation to be the remains of a tower at the termination of the east curtain wall. Most of complex was demolished during landscaping of a park in C18.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law. This is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 32584; 32585)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST69406397

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 201108
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2006, Greater Medieval Houses Vol3 (Cambridge) p600-2
    Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p79
    Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p61-2
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p222
    Dunning, Robert, 1991, Some Someerset Country Houses p105-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p444
    Pevsner, N., 1958, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol (Harmondsworth) p234
    Cooke, R., 1957, West Country Houses p166-8
    Collinson, J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Somersetshire Vol3 p342-5
• Journal Articles
  • Arnold, C.J., 2001, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society, Bath Vol143 p57-115
    Iles, R., 1984, Bristol and Avon Archaeology Bristol and Avon Archaeological Society Vol3 p63
    Iles, R., 1983, Bristol and Avon Archaeology Bristol and Avon Archaeological Society Vol2 p55
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1982, ‘Medieval Britain in 1981' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p170 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Youngs, S. and Clark, J., 1982, Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p170 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Youngs, S.M. and Clark, J., 1981, ‘Medieval Britain in 1980' Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p200 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Arnold, C.J., 1981, Medieval Archaeology Vol25 p200 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p227
    Arnold, C.J., 1980, ‘The fortified manor house at Newton St Loe: interim report on the excavations’ Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol124 p77-86
    Iles, R., 1978, Bristol Archaeological Research Group (B.A.R.G.) Bulletin Vol6 No 5 p117
    Kenyon, J.R., 1977, 'Early Gunports' Fort Vol4 p83
    Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1977, ‘Medieval Britain in 1976' Medieval Archaeology Vol21 p233 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Tipping, H.A., 1910 Jan , Country Life
    Strachey, Edward, 1867, Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Vol14 p82-102
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p429
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p103 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryofjohnl05lelauoft