Listed Building record MDO14351 - Medieval chapel at Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton

A 12th-century chapel has been documented at Sherborne Castle. Leland (c. 1535-43) mentions a chapel a little outside the castle walls to the east. Excavations in the 1930s and 1950s on a low civil war mound to the north east of the castle curtain wall revealed a small 12th-century building, probably the site of a chapel built by Bishop Roger.

Leland (c.1535-43) mentions in volume 2 of his itinerary that 'There is a chapel in a little close without the castle by este.' <1>

The church of Castleton was originally a chapel of ease to Oborne dedicated to St Mary Magdalen in the 1405 Dean Chandler's Registar. It first stood near the castle, a little to the E. of it, but was rebuilt by Sir W. Raleigh on a site, supposed to be that of the present church which was erected in 1714.

The site of the original chapel is suggested by the field name Maudlins Close which applies to six acres on the NE side of the Castle. <2>

The bill of Pope Evgenius III in 1145 recites that at the request of the monks he has confirmed to the monastry of St Mary Of Sherborne, - the following possessions:- - ; the church of St Mary Magdalen by the castle with its two chapels & appurtenances.' <4>

E A Rawlence partly conducted an unpublished excavation on a mound marked as the site of a supposed chapel on the east side of Sherborne Castle and moat during 1932. C E Bean visited the excavation and recalls that it revealed a small building of relatively late date, probably erected during the lifetime of the 1st Earl of Bristol.

C E Bean excavated on the site of a civil war mound immediately to the NE of the curtain wall during 1951 and 1952. One building was found in 1951 [Building 1] and two further buildings were discovered [buildings 2 and 3] during 1952.

Building 2 was located on the north side of he mound, approximately 35 feet east of building 1. Its walls, foundations and plan were similar to building 1, lying E-W with evidence for two clasping buttresses in the NW and SW corners. An internal longitudinal wall formed an aisle on the south side, 6 feet wide. The building measured 94 feet x 23.5 feet internally and has a floor of loose stone and gravel. The dressed stone and wall cores seem to be 12th century and built by Bishop Roger.

A trial trench was also made on the south side of the mound, near the present pleasure ground wall. Evidence for Building 3 was found here, parallel with building 2 but 96 feet south of it. It was of similar character, with an longitudinal wall forming a northern aisle, traceable only by filled in wall trenches (not robber trenches). The building measured 66.5 feet by c. 25 feet internally, although the west wall was not certainly identified and may have been destroyed by a civil war trench. The only pottery from the excavations was a single sherd of red sandy ware.

C E Bean also made a trawl of records held by the Digby estate agents, Messrs. Rawlence and Squarey. In this he found refernce to the discovery of a flint corbelled vault in 1899, measuring 7 feet 3 inches long, 2 feet wide, 11 feet deep and aligned N-S. It was located 87 feet north of the castle in a line with the inner wall of the western wing of the castle. The fill contained 17th-18th century pottery, but the date and purpose of the construction are unknown. <6> <7>

At the knoll to the NE of the moat are the remains of a building of indeterminate character. <8>

This building, outside the curtain wall, was a little Norman chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, and built by Bp Roger (c1099-1148). Partly excavated by Mr C E Bean, 1933-4 . <9>

It has not been possible to make a satisfatory deduction regarding the sites of buildings outside the Castle Wall, except that they appear to be of Bishop Rogers time. The alleged chapel site can neither be proved nor disproved. The area is completely covered with long grass and nettles, and the excavations cannot be defined on the ground. The sites A ST 64901685; B ST 64941685 ; and C ST 64921683, were pointed out on the sheet by Mr Bean. <10>

<1> Leland, J, Itinerary (Monograph). SDO10304.

<2> Hutchins, J, 1873, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 4. 3rd edition (Monograph). SDO10245.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1901, Ordnance Survey Object Name Book reference revision 1901, Dorset 6 SW (Unpublished document). SWX1268.

'Site of Chapel (GT) The site of this ancient Chapel is on the outer side of the Moat a short distance east of the ruins of the Castle…'

<3.1> 1901, OS 231 (attached) signed by Messrs Rawlence & Squarey, the Estate Offices Sherborne, dated 13.5.1901 (Verbal communication). SDO17490.

<4> Page, W (Ed), 1908, The Victoria History of the County of Dorset 2, 64 (Monograph). SWX1805.

<5> Ordnance Survey, Various, Ordnance Survey Map 6in. Prov. Ed, 1927-38 (Map). SWX2257.

Chapel (GT) (Site of)

<6> Bean, C E, 1951, Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10286.

<7> Bean, C E, 1952, Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society (Article in serial). SDO10302.

<8> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 66 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(4) SHERBORNE OLD CASTLE … On a knoll to the N.E. of the moat are the foundations of a small building of indeterminate date and character.’

<9> Fowler, J, 1951, Mediaeval Sherborne, 107 (Monograph). SDO10392.

<10> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 19-JUL-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<10.1> Bean, C E, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments: C E Bean, 15-JUL-55 (Verbal communication). SDO17480.

<11> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199473 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jan 12 2022 10:59AM