Old Sarum Castle
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Old Saresbury; Salisbury
In the civil parish of Salisbury.
In the historic county of Wiltshire (Modern Authority of Wiltshire, 1974 county of Wiltshire).
Ringwork and bailey castle founded by William I soon after the conquest and constructed on the site of the Iron Age hillfort.
A Motte and bailey castle founded by William I soon after the conquest and constructed on the site of the Iron Age hillfort at Old Sarum. Additions to the castle were made during the reign of King Henry II, especially between 1170-79. Repairs were documented between 1201-1208 and the last known main phase of building took place during the early 13th century. Further repairs were also documented in 1247. During the 13th century, the military importance of the castle declined. Repairs to the castle took place during the 14th century, but it was demolished by 1514. The motte is situated on the highest point of the spur in the centre of the hillfort. It is oval in plan measuring 370ft by 320ft and is surrounded by a ditch 20ft deep and 75ft wide. The mound top covers an area of two acres and was enclosed by a stone curtain wall constructed 1170-80. It contained a range of buildings which included an adminstrative compound dating from the late 11th-early 12th century. The compound comprised the Great Tower, Herlewins' Tower, the Kitchen Tower and the courtyard house which was the principal domestic building for the castle. The foundations of these buildings are still visible. Excavations have also located the layout of additional buildings. The lower bailey originally comprised the eastern area of the hillfort, ultilising the hillfort defences. It was expanded in around 1140 AD, when the outer curtain wall was constructed to include the perimeter of the hillfort. The wall has no towers and is between 10ft-12ft wide and survives to a height of 12ft. It encloses an area containing the cathedral and Close which resulted in conflict between the castle and the ecclesiastical authorities, this eventually leading to the move of the cathedral to Salisbury (New Sarum) in 1219 and subsequent abandonment of Old Sarum. The site is Scheduled and in the care of of the Secretary of state. (PastScape)
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law. This is a
Grade 1 listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 318843)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU13773267
This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is
1197078
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly
Sites and Monuments Record) number is SU13SW452 '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.
- Web site links
- Books
- Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p97-9
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p276
Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p117-32
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p500
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p271-2
RCHME, 1980, ‘Old Sarum’, in Ancient and Historical Monuments in the City of Salisbury Vol1 (HMSO) p1-15, 173-4
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p824-8
Crittal, Eliz. (ed), 1962, 'Old Salisbury: The castle' VCH Wiltshire Vol6 p53-60 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41776
Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p202-7
Society of Antiquaries, 1912, Reports of Excavation Committee
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p118-23 http://www.archive.org/details/earthworkofengla00allc
Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England (New York: Macmillan) Vol1 p230-3 http://www.archive.org/stream/castlesofengland01mack#page/230/mode/1up
Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England (Wyman and Sons) Vol2 p447-58
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p1-3 http://www.archive.org/stream/abbeyscastlesanc00timbrich#page/n15/mode/2up
King, Edward, 1799-1805, Munimenta antiqua or Observations on antient castles (W.Bulmer and Co) Vol1 p82-5
- Journal Articles
- Anon, 2004, 'Old Sarum Castle and 5000 years of history' CSG Newsletter Vol6 Issue1 p8
Creighton, O.H., 2000, 'Early Castles in the Medieval Landscape of Wiltshire' Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol93 p107
Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p371-392 http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28199104%29106%3A419%3C371%3AAHOCRI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q
King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
1965, Medieval Archaeology Vol9 p192 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p324 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
Rahtz, P. and Musty, J.W., 1957-60, 'Excavations at Old Sarum' Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol57 p359-364
Braun, H., 1957-60, 'Excavations at Old Sarum' Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol57 p406-7
Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
1958, Medieval Archaeology Vol2 p196 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' English Historical Review Vol70 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp19-64
Mongomerie, D.H., 1948, 'Old Sarum' The Archaeological Journal Vol104 p129-43
Roberts, 1928, The Builder Vol135 p332-4 [a minor account of the excavations]
Hope, W.H.St John and Hawley, W., 1915-16, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries London [ser2] Vol28 p174-83
Hope, W.H.St John and Hawley, W., 1914-15, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries London [ser2] Vol27 p230-8
Hope, W.H.St John and Hawley, W., 1913-14, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries London [ser2] Vol26 p100-119
Hope, W.H.St John, 1913, 'Old Sarum [RAI autumn meeting]' The Archaeological Journal Vol70 p564-7
Hope, W.H.St John and Hawley, W., 1912-13, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries London [ser2] Vol25 p93-103
Hope, W.H.St John and Hawley, W., 1911-12, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries London [ser2] Vol24 p52-65
Hope, W.H.St John and Hawley, W., 1910-11, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries London [ser2] Vol23 p190-200, 501-17
Clark, G.T., 1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' The Archaeological Journal Vol46 p197-217 esp214 http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeologicaljo46brit#page/197/mode/1up
Clark, G.T., 1875, 'The earthworks of the Wiltshire Avon: Old Sarum and Downton' The Archaeological Journal Vol32 p290-309 [reprinted MMA] [plan] http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeologicaljo32brit#page/290/mode/1up
Irving, G.V., 1859, 'on the earthworks at Old Sarum' Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol15 p291-302 http://www.archive.org/stream/journalofbritish15brit#page/291/mode/1up
1796, Gentleman's Magazine pt1 p185-6
1795, Gentleman's Magazine pt1 p95, 193-4 http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018405434
- Guidebooks
- McNeill, J., 2006, Old Sarum (London: English Heritage)
Renn, Derek, 1994, Old Sarum Wiltshire (London: English Heritage)
Shortt, H de S., 1988, Old Sarum Wiltshire (London: English Heritage)
Shortt, H de S., 1965, Old Sarum Wiltshire (HMSO)
Bushe-Fox, 1950 (rev edn), Old Sarum Wiltshire (HMSO)
Bushe-Fox, 1936, Old Sarum Wiltshire (HMSO)
- Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents
- This section is far from complete and the secondary
sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p468-71
- Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
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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.
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