Listed Building record MDO6505 - Rufus Castle, Portland

The site of a castle, captured in 1142 by Robert, Earl of Gloucester and rebuilt in the late 15th century. The remains of the 15th century octagonal tower with gun loops, walls and gateway survive. The approach bridge and entry archway are 19th century in date. The walls to the north and west stand to their full height, but part of the south east wall, which is thinner has broken away.

The castle was formerly known as Bow and Arrow castle. The approach bridge and present gateway are 19th century in date and were in place by 1842. By 1997 the wall on the south side of the castle was gone. A stepped plinth at the foot of the walls on the W and foundations at the N suggest an earlier building on the site. Inferences from documents and architecture suggest a date of between 1432-60. <3-4>

No change. <6>

The gunports consist simply of a hole bored through a single ashlar slab, and are typically 15th century. <7>

Listed. <8>

The late 15th century Rufus Castle is visible as a ruined structure on aerial photographs of 2007 and 2009 <12 and 13>. This site was digitally plotted during the South west Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 252-3 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(7) RUFUS CASTLE (697711), an irregular pentagonal tower (Plate 145) with walls of roughly squared rubble and no roof, may be a rebuilding of the castle which was captured by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, in 1142. The present building is probably mainly of the late 15th century.

The walls to the N. and W. stand to their full height and retain at the top a number of shaped corbels for a machicolated parapet, but part of the S.E. wall, which is thinner, has broken away. To the S.W. is a gateway with four-centred, arched head; to the N. is a 19th-century gateway with a round-arched head approached by a bridge of the same date. In the S.E. wall is a chamfered stone jamb of a doorway which has been closed u-. in the N. and W. walls, at first floor level, are five embrasures, splayed internally under segmental rear arches, with circular gun-ports. Outside the S. gateway are the remains of stone footings and there are said to have been further buildings to the E. where the cliff has fallen away.’

<2> King, D J C, 1947, Bow and Arrow Castle, Portland, 65-67 (Article in serial). SWX2035.

<3> Renn, D, 1973, Norman castles in Britain, 113 (Monograph). SWX2036.

<4> Department of the Environment, 21 Sept 1978, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Weymouth and Portland amendment 1978, p6 (Scheduling record). SWX2136.

<5> DOE, 1979, Scheduled Monument Notification DOE (IAM) Anc Mons Eng 3.12.79 82 (Scheduling record). SWX2037.

<6> Barton, J G, Various, Field Investigators Comments JGB, F1 JGB 30-JUL-80 (Unpublished document). SDO11900.

<7> Fortress Study Group, 1980, Fort: the international journal of fortification and military architecture, 8 (Serial). SDO19866.

<8> Cathcart-King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum: an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands, 125 (Monograph). SDO16340.

<9> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 1:10,000 scale map, 1974 (Map). SDO17396.

Rufus Castle (NR) (remains of) (NAT)

<10> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1891, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club, 124 (Serial). SDO7.

<11> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1948, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1947, 65-67 (Serial). SDO47.

<12> XX-XXX-2009, Google Earth (Aerial Photograph). SDO12705.

<13> National Monuments Record, 08-AUG-2007, SY 6971/017-026 NMR 24690/14-23 (Aerial Photograph). SDO13125.

<14> Historic England, Historic England Archive, FL01018 (Index). SDO14738.

Rufus Castle, Portland, Dorset

<15> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F155/3 (Index). SDO14738.

RUFUS CASTLE AT WEYMOUTH FROM NORTH EAST. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<16> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS55/F74/8 (Index). SDO14738.

PLAN OF RUFUS CASTLE AT WEYMOUTH

<17> National Record of the Historic Environment, 451726 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:36PM