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Hamstead Marshall 3 (conquest castle)
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Newbury
In the civil parish of Hamstead Marshall.
In the historic county of Berkshire (Modern Authority of West Berkshire, 1974 county of Berkshire).
This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle. |
|
This site was certainly a medieval fortification or palace. |
|
Earthworks remains. |
Medieval bailey, two mottes, moat and fish pond seen as earthworks in Hamstead Marshall Park. One of the mottes is an oval mound, approximately 60m across, and is surrounded on the western side by a wide ditch, probably a moat. The bailey is an oblong mound, 130m by 65m in size. (PastScape)
The dating of the mottes is a matter for some speculation. Myres considers that the mottes are neither to be dated between 1066 and 1154 where they could be associated with the probably illicit activities of Hugolin Stirman and the early Marshals, nor to the 13th century. Certainly there must have been buildings on the site in 1218 as King Henry III was entertained there. The date of the pottery from the bottom of the hill on which the mottes are situated might be seen as supporting the idea of an early date for the construction of the mottes. (PastScaperef. field investigators comments 1963)
The site comprises two mounds one 40m by 50m and 4.7m in height the other 60m in diameter and 6.8m high. The smaller of the pair is surrounded by a ditch with a maximum depth of 2m. The summit is heel-shaped and has been damaged by trees. Below the top of the mound the profile is interrupted by a step, this is either the original surface or the result of later alterations. The other larger mound is slightly oval in plan and has traces of a low ring bank on the NW side. The mound is surrounded except to the N by a 2.7m deep ditch. (PastScaperef. Catherall et al, 1984)
May be the 'Newbury' castle besieged in 1152 (Higgot, 1998), See Newbury Castle (qv) for discussion.
I share, with PastScape, the opinion that this and Hampstead Marshall 2 (qv) are one castle with two mottes and not two separate castles as often said.
See also Hampstead Marshall palace (qv), the, now lost, successor manor house to the castle, which was briefly a royal palace used on a few occasions by Edward III.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU42106690
This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is
233243
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.
- Web site links
- Books
- Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p21
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p8 [slight]
Bonney, D.J. and Dunn, C.J., 1989, Earthwork castles and settlement at Hamstead Marshall, Berkshire' in Bowden, M., Mackay, D. and Topping, P. (eds), From Cornwall to Caithness: some aspects of British field Archaeology. Papers presented to Norman V Quinnell (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports British Series 209) p173-82
Catherall, P.D., Barnett, Marion and McClean, Heather (eds), 1984, The southern feeder: the archaeology of a gas pipeline (British Gas)
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
- Journal Articles
- Edwards, D.M., 2000, 'The mystery of the Hamstead Marshall castles' Postern Vol11 p22-3
Higgot, Tony, 1998, 'Is Newbury's Mediaeval Castle at Hamstead Marshall?' Transactions of the Newbury District Field Club Vol 14 No2/3 p28-29
Grinsell, L.V., 1936, 'An Analysis and List of Berkshire Barrows' The Berkshire Archaeological Journal Berkshire Archaeological Society Vol40 p56 [download via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?berks_bas_2007]
Myres, J.N.L., 1932, Transactions of the Newbury District Field Club Vol6 p114-26 plans
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