Colchester Castle Park – an archaeologist’s playground

Yesterday (22nd April), Trust archaeologist Don Shimmin was on site in the Castle Park in Colchester. The Borough Council has commissioned us to excavate some trial-holes on the site of the crazy-golf course ahead of works to convert it to a new sand play area. The site is within the Scheduled Ancient Monument and so the contractors here are restricted to a depth of half a metre; where they will have to dig deeper than that, Trust archaeologists are excavating trial-holes to fulfil the Ancient Monument conditions and test the ground. The archaeological work started last week, when Don was assisted by Trust archaeologist Ben Holloway, and it is on-going.

The trial-holes have shown the site to be devoid of Roman remains. Don and Ben excavated down through post-medieval topsoil and dark earth – however, interestingly, this confirms Don’s suggestion of a large post-Roman ditch on the site, when he undertook archaeological work here in the 1980s. If Don is correct, then it was the digging of the large post-Roman ditch which removed any Roman material here. Don has identified the large ditch on 17th-century maps and he thinks that it could be Norman or medieval, and that it formed part of the outer defences of the castle. Don says that a pronounced dip and rise in the ground are still visible near the cafe, adjacent to the site.

The Castle Park is a Scheduled Ancient Monument because it contains the Norman castle keep and associated remains and, also, because – just under the ground – it is packed with important Roman archaeology. The castle was built on top of the foundations of the Temple of Claudius, which was set within a large walled precinct with a monumental arcade to the front, facing what is now the High Street. The park also contains the remains of Roman streets and houses, a large drain, a length of the Roman town wall and the ruins of one of its gateways (Duncan’s gate).

The castle keep was built from circa 1070/71 for William the Conqueror by his steward Eudo. Over the centuries, the castle and its defences have been extended and mended; the defences included a bailey and rampart and, according to Don, an outer bank and ditch.

The crazy-golf course was opened in the 1980s and, coincidentally, it was opened by Alderman Janet Fulford who was mayor at the time. Janet sits on the Committee of the Colchester Archaeological Trust. The new sand play area in the Castle Park will include a huge pirate ship and other play equipment.

Read more about the history of the castle at www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=21994

The images show the site, with the children’s playground in the distance (and loads of children enjoying themselves during the school holiday), and one of the trial-holes, cutting the topsoil and dark earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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