SDO11347 - Excavations at Corfe Castle 1991. Interim Report; Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

Archaeological excavation conducted by the National Trust in advance of consolidation and mitigation work associated with tourism, continued at Corfe Castle during 1991. An EDM survey of the castle was conducted during 1991, including heights above OD, the tops and bottoms of walls and details of collapsed rubble blocks scattered within the castle and its slopes. In the 4th tower and great ditch part of the ditch filling was removed to the 17th century level revealing the medieval curtain wall which once linked the 4th tower to the SW gatehouse. The ground level on the north side of the tower was reduced by 0.4m to the level of the mortar floor uncovered in 1989. Two lines of post-holes cut this floor layer, parallel with and set back from the curtain wall at 2m intervals, suggesting the outline of a wooden building postdating the moratar floor. The great ditch cuts the northernmost of the post holes and the threshold stones to the 4th tower. The inner ward gateway was partly uncovered of rubble from the collapse of the keep in order to try and open up access to the inner ward. This excavation revealed a gateway of at least three building phases. The earliest was 5.om wide and constructed from rough ashlar, possibly from the late 11th century. The gateway was narrowed to 3.2m in the later medieval period and faced with fine ashlar. Later still two chamfered jambs were introduced narrowing the gateway again to 2.3m. Two small trenches (A and B) were also excavated within the inner ward demonstrating a 0.8-1m depth of rubble above the 17th century floor surface.