SDO10410 - Sherborne Old Castle, Castleton, Dorset. Archaeological fabric recording and excavation 1998-2000

Stewart Brown Associates conducted archaeological fabric recording and excavation in conjunction with repair and consolidation works at Sherborne Old Castle between 1998-2000. Fabric recording encompassed the standing remains of the bridge and gatehouse at the main (SW) entrance, the barbican to the north, the north-east gate, and parts of the central tower and courtyard ranges. The excavation was of a trench alongside the curtain wall to each side of the former north gate. ‘The stone bridge originally comprised two abutments, two arches, and a central free-standing pier. The abutments and pier retain remnants of projecting masonry which show that both former arches originally contained three broad ribs. The ribs are likely to have supported stone vaulting. The date of the bridge is uncertain, but it probably belongs with the 12th century construction of the castle. In the later medieval period, a stone lined pit was inserted into the abutment next to the gatehouse, almost certainly for a wooden turning bridge, or drawbridge that replaced the innermost stone arch. The south west gatehouse is an original feature of the early 12th century castle, and integral in construction with the adjoining curtain wall. It was built as a three-storey battlemented tower with a central gate passage and a small single chamber porter’s lodge or guardroom on the ground floor, and a single large unheated room on each of the two floors above. The passage appears to have had a stone vault supported by three arches or ribs (a banded barrel vault) with a gate set into the middle arch. The survey made in the areas of the barbican, northeast gate, central tower and courtyard ranges largely confirmed existing interpretation of archaeological features and their relationships. It is suggested, however that the ground floors of the early 12th century west and east courtyard ranges were built with banded barrel vaults.’ The excavation trench ‘…uncovered a 12th or early 13th century rubbish dump made up largely of kitchen waste. Finds from the dump include numerous fragments of cooking pot and tripod pitchers, together with well-preserved environmental evidence comprising a substantial collection of animal, fish and plant remains.’