SDO10286 - Excavations at Sherborne Old Castle; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

Excavations on supposed site of chapel on E. side of Castle and moat: E A Rawlence partly conducted an unpublished excavation on a mound marked as the site of a supposed chapel on the east side of Sherborne Castle and moat during 1932.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 conducted a further excavation on the site in 1951. this revealed that the mound was ‘…probably a civil war defence outpost platform, concealing the remains of a 12th century building of substantial construction…lying E-W’. This was a two-celled structure measuring 59 ft x 17ft internally and a north aisle approximately 7ft wide internally. The eastern side of the foundations were extensively robbed. The surviving walls were of local stone with a Ham stone clasping buttress at the SW corner. The main N. wall was carried on arches with the piers of the westernmost arch being of Norman date and in situ, suggesting that the building can be attributed to Bishop Roger (c. 1101-1135) and the main work of the castle. The north wall continued eastwards for a further 74 ft, possibly enclosing a cobbled area. During the civil war the remains of the building were covered with clay and rock, and trenches were dug on the north and east sides of the mound so created. The N.E curtain wall tower: C.E. Bean conducted a trial excavation at the outer, southern, side of the NE curtain wall tower during 1951, to see if any remains existed of the original bridge across the moat. Several springing stones of a semi-circular arch remained in situ. The tower was built on solid rock with an apron of dressed Ham stone carried sharply down the face of the moat. Three ribs within this apron carried the bridge to the central pier which still exists. The central rib was later removed. Towards the east, on the inner side of the tower the remains of an oven and light buildings abutting the curtain wall were found. The north curtain wall entrance: C.E. Bean continued excavations at the north curtain wall entrance during 1951. Three phases were identified on the eastern side of the entrance. A projecting angular gatehouse with round towers existed at the two northern or outer angles in phase 1 (Bishop Roger).the moat and curtain wall had, from the first, been diverted here. Phase 2, not much later than the original work, was represented by a chamber or building within the N.E. angle of the gatehouse. In phase 3, as yet undated, a narrow chamber was added within the gatehouse to elongate the covered way, leading to a square tower with portcullis against the curtain wall.