The Gatehouse website record for Calne Castle House

In the civil parish of Calne. In the historic county of Wiltshire (Modern Authority of Wiltshire, 1974 county of Wiltshire).

There is documentary evidence suggesting a castle in the town by the Anarchy period. Local tradition and place-name evidence may indicate that the site of this lies within the immediate vicinity of the present Castle House. Successive episodes of fieldwork, including topographical survey (Ordnance Survey 1968) and geophysical survey (GSB Prospection 2000) have, however, produced negative results. A watching brief during construction groundworks (Wiltshire Archaeological Service 1972) (CA009) at Castle House did record substantial undated wall footings on the south side of the house, which appeared to be excessively large for the building now standing on the site. Earlier, C19 observations during construction work encountered ‘vaults too large for a modern private house’, and a ‘stone- walled chamber’ was found close under the boundary wall of Castle House Lawn (exact location unknown), indicating if not a castle then the former presence of a building of some substance. (Mcmahon p7)
Geophysical Survey done in 2000 "During the course of the survey there were no indications of significant structural remains. Since the castle comprised timber structures, they would not have been detected with the resistance technique"
Regarding the castellum de Cernei mentioned in 1139 this castle was stormed, rather than besieged, so this may suggest a small castle although still significant enough to be mentioned. The other places mentioned in this paragraph are Trowbridge and Malmesbury which might suggest this was a campaign against urban centres in Wiltshire. On this very weak evidence I would tentatively suggest Calne.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST99657094

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 212393
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is ST97SE462 '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.

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.