History results

The results of the documentary research and the 2017 excavations have provided us with enough information to not only answer all of the project’s main questions, but to rewrite the history of Longtown and its two castles.

A summary of the results is given below, followed by the detailed history:

Summary of the excavations

Roman pottery was found (29 pieces) at the lowest levels of 2 out of the 3 main trenches on Longtown’s Castle Green. The pottery gave dates of 1^st or 2^nd century AD, while carbon dating of charcoal gave 1st century dates. Charcoal from the decomposed turf at the base of the ramparts also gave a date consistent with early Roman occupation. The evidence points to the site having originally been a Roman fort.
The fort with its associated road joining Stone Street at Bacton, provides new support for a second phase of rampart building by Harold Godwinson’s army in 1055. Longtown is highly likely to have been Harold’s ‘last Saxon burh’
11^th century pottery was found at both castle sites, showing that the motte and baileys were under construction shortly after the conquest, not during the 12^th century, as originally postulated.
Ponthendre motte and bailey was abandoned before it was finished, indicating that it could not have been the Ewias Castle described in the Pipe Rolls of 1187-89.
Both pottery and radiocarbon dates from Longtown Castle Green show that the castle was at its most active during the period 1150-1250, suggesting that the stone castle was built around 1150-1160, during the Lordship of Gilbert de Lacy. Further research carried out by the project into the construction of the stone castle provides additional support for this conclusion. The ‘New Castle’ mentioned in the 1187-89 Pipe Rolls would have been the rebuilt stone castle, not the timber motte and bailey, as originally proposed.
A third phase of rampart building was found to have been undertaken in the 13th century, when they were raised by a further meter.

The results of the documentary research and the 2017 excavations have provided us with enough information to not only answer all of the project’s main questions, but to rewrite the history of Longtown and its two castles.

A summary of the results is given below, followed by the detailed history:

Summary of the excavations

The fort with its associated road joining Stone Street at Bacton, provides new support for a second phase of rampart building by Harold Godwinson’s army in 1055. Longtown is highly likely to have been Harold’s ‘last Saxon burh’

11^th century pottery was found at both castle sites, showing that the motte and baileys were under construction shortly after the conquest, not during the 12^th century, as originally postulated.

Ponthendre motte and bailey was abandoned before it was finished, indicating that it could not have been the Ewias Castle described in the Pipe Rolls of 1187-89.

A third phase of rampart building was found to have been undertaken in the 13th century, when they were raised by a further meter.

Click the links to go to each of the History sections:

Prehistoric

Romans

Early Welsh and Anglo-Saxons

The Normans

The New Castle and Borough

Where we are :

Zoom straight in with +

Recent Comments

Archives

History results

The results of the documentary research and the 2017 excavations have provided us with enough information to not only answer all of the project’s main questions, but to rewrite the history of Longtown and its two castles.

A summary of the results is given below, followed by the detailed history:

Summary of the excavations

The fort with its associated road joining Stone Street at Bacton, provides new support for a second phase of rampart building by Harold Godwinson’s army in 1055. Longtown is highly likely to have been Harold’s ‘last Saxon burh’

11th century pottery was found at both castle sites, showing that the motte and baileys were under construction shortly after the conquest, not during the 12th century, as originally postulated.

Ponthendre motte and bailey was abandoned before it was finished, indicating that it could not have been the Ewias Castle described in the Pipe Rolls of 1187-89.

A third phase of rampart building was found to have been undertaken in the 13th century, when they were raised by a further meter.

Click the links to go to each of the History sections:

Prehistoric

Romans

Early Welsh and Anglo-Saxons

The Normans

The New Castle and Borough

Where we are :

Zoom straight in with +

Recent Comments

Archives

11^th century pottery was found at both castle sites, showing that the motte and baileys were under construction shortly after the conquest, not during the 12^th century, as originally postulated.