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| Monument Name |
Saffron Walden Castle |
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| SMR Number |
411 |
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| Summary |
200yds east of the parish church. |
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| Media |
Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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Saffron Walden Castle, Saffron Walden, Uttlesford
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| Associated Media |
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| Description |
200yds east of the parish church. Originally a motte and bailey castle with a keep on the motte. Built in the late 11th-early 12th century. Apparently early decay-only the keep ruins survive. Little remains of the earthworks-a transverse scarp across the bailey may indicate a dividing wall. The line of the ditch at the foot of the scarp marking the bailey is occupied by streets, Castle Street, Museum Street, Church Street, on the east it followed the old road, know obliterated by the grounds of Castle Hill House. The keep motte was apparently never very high, is now almost level with the ground around it. No dressings of the keep remain. 2 stages stand, entirely 12th century except for a low addition at the north west angle, from a late 18th century semaphore station. The base of the forebuilding survives and the entrance way was probably at 3rd storey level. Inside is the base of a pier, probably for a column. On the floor above there are traces of a circular staircase and of a well shaft. There are remains of a large fireplace in the upper storey. Foundations of several rubble walls survive in the bailey. <1> <5> <9> The motte was up around the keep. The keep and bailey are contemporary, it seems. The likely construction date is 1103-1143, probably towards the end of this period. Possibly built by Geoffrey (II) de Mandeville. Refortification after 1347 included: a masonry hall and lesser buildings, a masonry wall around the line of the bailey which was divided into an inner and outer area by a cross wall between the hall and the keep. There is also some evidence for a refurbishment before 1200 The castle ditch has been found at various points in Castle Street and Museum Street, in sewer trenches in 1911-13 by Maynard. In 1975 the northern edge of the bailey ditch, parallel to the Church Street, was located in a watching brief (see 413). The forebuilding was excavated as part of a scheme by Uttlesford District Council, ECC and the DOE to conserve the castle (see 412). A short period of research excavation took place in 1973 in and around the keep, in Castle Meadows. Also a new survey of the building was made after clearance of vegetation from the walls as part of the above conservation scheme. The basement of the keep was probably for storage, the 1st floor having the hall, undivided. Holes survive for floor joists. The pier in the centre probably continued to higher level. The keep was entered via a forebuilding, above the hall level, possibly via a hall gallery. The stair to the forebuilding was at least partly covered. Archaeological and documentary evidence suggests some dismantling of the keep and associated earthworks between 1157-60. There is some evidence that the keep was repaired in the late 12th century and remained in repair, probably until the 16th century. The 1973 excavations found no evidence for an earlier motte or ringwork. Traces of clearance and construction activities were found including post holes, probably for scaffolding associated with the keep's construction. Excavations within the keep uncovered various spreads of mortar and a flow of mortar. Outside, it was found that the raising of the flanking mound had started before the keep was finished. Associated earthworks were also excavated. After a short period of use the earthworks underwent a wholesale reduction. Excavation in the grounds of Castle Hill House uncovered part of the bailey bank and ditch This also seems to have been deliberately reduced, possibly as part of the reduction of the earthworks suggested from the Castle Meadows excavation. The ditch here (Castle Hill House) was apparently unfinished. <2> Other refs: <3> <4> The castle was surrendered to Stephen in 1142 and destroyed in 1157-1158 (though the keep was refurbished later, see above). <5> <6> 22 photos of the castle are in the SMR. <7>
A geophysical survey identified a number of broad responses that could be archaeologically significant. The results show the possible existence of a building to the west of the castle, and has identified a number of possible wall-like features. Due to the poorly defined nature of the anomalies it has not been possible to give a precise delineation of features, although areas of potential interest were identified. <10>
Photographic references <11> - <13>
Site Assessment = Specification for repair works to the keep is in the SMR. <8>
The Castle
The castle comprised of three distinct units:- The keep which was located within an ovoid inner bailey, which was in turn enclosed by an oval outer bailey. The outer bailey also enclosed the medieval church and the early medieval town.
The keep (TL 5391 3871)
The keep consists of a massive square tower of at least three storeys, with clasping butresses. It is of flint rubble and mortar construction, there is no evidence for there ever having been ashlar quoins or facing. There was a rectangular forebuilding on the north end of the west side of the keep, approached by a staircase. It was under construction or possibly even completed by 1141 and was certainly substantially complete by 1143. In 1157 the castle was ordered to be slighted following de Mandeville’s arraignment for treason; some evidence for at least partial demolition was found during the Castle Meadows excavations. It is possible that permission was granted to William de Mandeville to refortify Walden castle at the same time as the refortifying of his castle at Pleshey in 1167. However, the next direct reference to structural work at Walden dates to 1347 when de Bohun was granted permission to crenellate the manerium.
The inner bailey (TL 5384 3868)
The keep was enclosed by the inner bailey, which was ovoid in plan with an internal area of c.1.25 ha. The bailey earthwork is mirrored by the line of Museum Street to the west, and Castle Street and Church Street to the north and south. Castle Hill road (which is 19th century) lies on the approximate eastern edge. Maynard observed the inner bailey ditch in sewer trenches in Castle Street and Museum Street in 1911-13 and Petchey located the possible innermost lip of the ditch running parallel to Church Street in 1975 (Bassett, 1982). Within the inner bailey there is documentary evidence for an internal chalk rampart division (perhaps with a ditch) which ran on a north-east south-west alignment from the south-west corner of the keep to a southern gatehouse. The manorial court rolls post-dating 1381 mention a masonry hall within the inner bailey to the west of the keep, which was rented out on short leases to the men of the town. The manorial rolls also make it clear that there were other structures within the inner bailey area.
The outer bailey (TL 5363 3857)
The outer bailey enclosed both the inner bailey and the rest of the Bury Hill promontory. It was an elongated oval in plan, with long sides to the north and south. Limited excavation in 1972 in the grounds of Castle Hill House located the eastern limit of the outer bailey ditch circuit. It was 8m wide and appeared to be unfinished (Bassett, 1982). A linear feature, interpreted as a sunken road ran parallel to the eastern side of the ditch. Maynard observed a ditch of similar dimensions to the south of Castle Hill House at Common Hill and again in two places in the Market Place. A section was excavated across it on the Barnard’s Yard site to the east of the High Street. The western limits of the circuit have not been fixed, but it is thought that the curved lines of Freshwell Street and Myddleton Place mirror its plan and that it probably lies in the area between the two. The northern edge is marked by an escarpment which runs along the back of the properties which face on to the north side of Castle Street. <15>
The Castle (TL 5391 3871)
The castle had fallen into disrepair by the beginning of the post-medieval period and by 1594 it was described as ruinous. The excavation and documentary evidence suggests that robbing of the keep for rubble and the demolition of the upper storeys began in the 16th century. In the 18th century a barn was built inside the shell of the keep. In 1796 a small turret was added to the fore-building so as to support a flag-staff and some repair work also took place. The barn was removed in 1881 and the interior excavated.<15> |
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| Monument Type(s) |
CASTLE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
CASTLE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
CASTLE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
ROAD (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
FLOOR (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
POST HOLE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
WATER TANK (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
BANK (EARTHWORK) (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
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| Monument Class(es) |
EARTHWORK
RUINED BUILDING
SUB SURFACE DEPOSIT
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Period
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1066AD to 1539AD Medieval
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| Status |
Scheduled Monument |
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| Administration Area |
SAFFRON WALDEN, UTTLESFORD, ESSEX |
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National Grid Reference
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Square: TL53NW
Ref: 539387 |
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| Finds |
POTTERY VESSEL (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
POTTERY VESSEL (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
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| Events |
PART EXCAV by Maynard, G?,
PART EXCAV by Bassett, SR,
FULL SURVEY by Drury, PJ, 1980
Field visit to 411 by Paterson, H, FMW on MAY-1980
Field visit to 411 by Chant, K, FMW on FEB-1984
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Sources
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Desc Text : Specifications of Works of Repair to Saffron Walden Castle, Essex (unknown)
Photograph : TL53-010 (Hedges, John D) 22 frames
Desc Text : The history of Audley End and Saffron Walden (Braybrooke, Lord) Dated : 1836
Desc Text : Some account of the castle of Saffron Walden and its possessors (Maynard, GN) Vol 4, pp58-91 Dated : 1886
Desc Text : An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex, Vol 1 (RCHME) Vol 1, pp233-234 Dated : 1916
Desc Text : Norman Castles of Britain (Renn, D) p337 Dated : 1968
Desc Text : TL53NW11 (unknown) Dated : 1978
Photograph : Saffron Walden Castle (unknown) Dated : 1978
Photograph : Saffron Walden Castle (unknown) Dated : 1978 ?
Photograph : Saffron Walden Castle (Rogers, P) Dated : 1980
Excavation report : Saffron Walden:excavations and research 1972-80 (Bassett, SR and Drury, PJ in Bassett, SR) No 45, pp12-15, 48-64 Dated : 1982
Scheduling record : DOE Scheduled Ancient Monuments (HBMC) Parts 5-8 Dated : 1986
Desc Text : Report on Geophysical Survey, Saffron Walden castle (Harvey, L) Dated : 1998
Desc Text : Saffron Walden Historic Town Assessment Report (Medlycott, Maria) Dated : 1999
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