fascinating fieldwork at Hedingham Castle

Last week (18th September), the Trust finished a long-running fieldwork project at Hedingham Castle, which is at Castle Hedingham in Essex. We started the project at the beginning of June and it was conducted by Trust archaeologist Mark Baister. The project involved several elements: the excavation of six test-pits (four in the cellar of the keep, one in the rampart and one in the dungeon); the archaeological cleaning of two structures (the stone steps to the main door of the keep, and the dungeon); a watching brief on the excavation of two service trenches in the inner bailey, one of which extended across the moat and into the outer bailey of the castle; and building recording of the dungeon, which is an outbuilding to the south-west of the keep. On the last day of the project, Mark extended one of the service trenches to investigate the width of a Norman foundation, excavated the test-pit in the dungeon and finished the building recording.

The castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed, so we couldn’t investigate the site until English Heritage granted special permission for the works. Dr Tim Dennis, assisted by members of the Colchester Archaeological Group,  undertook a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey of the site for us, before we started the fieldwork. The works are being undertaken to improve the visitor experience of Hedingham Castle, with more lighting and heating in the keep, and access into the dungeon which is also going to be re-roofed and adapted to create a viewing platform.

We have uncovered some exciting evidence at the castle.  Part of the curtain wall was exposed in one of the trenches, while the other revealed Tudor infilling between the rampart and the keep. The foundation of a building was uncovered in the inner bailey, and we uncovered part of the stone base of the gateway in the Norman gatehouse. One of the test-pits cut the bailey wall and rampart. In the cellar of the keep, we exposed the original Norman floor surface. The evidence represents original Norman elements and later modifications of Hedingham Castle.

Hedingham Castle was founded in 1140 by Aubrey de Vere; he came to England with William the Conqueror, who granted him the lordship of Hedingham and made him the 1st Earl of Oxford. Aubrey’s direct descendant John de Vere, the 13th Earl of Oxford, was the principal commander of Henry Tudor’s forces at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 and defeated Richard III. Henry Tudor – Henry VII – rewarded him with honours and high office. The castle was the principal seat of the Earls of Oxford, but it was neglected for about twenty years after the execution of the 12th Earl in 1462, during which time the 13th Earl was engaged in the ‘Wars of the Roses’ and then imprisoned in France. The 13th Earl returned and undertook a major programme of building and improvements at Hedingham Castle after 1485. However, in the centuries after his death, the castle was gradually reduced to its modern condition.

English Heritage state that ‘… the castle ranks among the most important Norman buildings in the country if not northern Europe…’. Hedingham Castle is a great monument and it has a long and interesting history – and, apparently, it’s right up there with the other great Norman buildings of Colchester Castle and the Tower of London!

The project is being funded by Jason and Demetra Lindsay, who have worked closely with English Heritage and the Trust throughout. They live in the manor house next to the keep and now run Hedingham Castle as a heritage visitor centre and wedding and events venue.

Visit the Hedingham Castle web-site at www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk/

The images show Jason and Demetra Lindsay in front of the famous keep; part of the wall of the dungeon; and a sketch plan of the castle. [Images to follow.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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* Note: a bailey was the fortified yard of a castle. The principal buildings, such as the keep, would have been positioned in the inner bailey, along with secondary structures like stables, barracks, and storage buildings.  The inner bailey was enclosed by the defensive ‘curtain wall’ and further protected by the outer bailey. At Hedingham Castle, the inner bailey is formed by an earthen mound, and it was protected by a curtain wall, a ditch and an earthen bank; the outer bailey is defined by a rampart.

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