Wiltshire and Swindon Sites and Monument Record Information

SMR Number

SU25SE450

Site Name

Ludgershall Castle

Grid Ref

SU26385118

Parish

Ludgershall

Photographs

Images for Ludgershall (if available)

District

Kennet

Site Type

Ringwork

Period

Late Medieval

Scheduled Monument

WI10070

Finds

Building material - wood; Building material - mortar; Flint; Glass

X Y Grid Ref

426380, 151180

Altitude

129.54 metres

Geology

Upper Chalk

Description

A Medieval double ringwork castle.

Details

A double-ditched double ringwork excavated by P Addyman in 1964-71 who found mid 12th century timber building and defences. These were superseded by flint and mortar buildings in the 13th and 14th centuries, the remains of which still survive as standing structures. It has royal associations from 1103. Building including the foundations of suites of elaborate royal residential apartments, together with the east end of the great hall whose construction in May 1244 was ordered by Henry III. There were remarkable and exotic finds. A series of large pits in the south. A small watching brief in 1998 didn't find any features. An evaluation during 2000 revealed a large 12th century - 13th century ditch, which had seemingly been recut several times, culminating in a much smaller ditch that produced 17th century pottery. A building survey in 2004 on the Great Tower built for King John between 1190 and 1240, confirmed the conclusions already made in the report by Cherry and Ellis. A garderobe was added and a new entrance created, but otherwise the tower remained largely unchanged. The tower has come to a dilapidated state since passing out of use in the sixteenth century.

Sources

Ludgershall Castle 1998 RCHME

Devizes Museum 1986.86 1986 Devizes Museum

Devizes Museum 1990.02 1990 Devizes Museum

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 61, p104-5 1966 Addyman, P V

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 62, p127-8 1967 Addyman, P V

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 63, p111-2 1968 Addyman, P V

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 64, p124 1969 Addyman, P V

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 65, p205 1970 Addyman, P V

Wiltshire Archaeological Magazine Vol 67, p176

Medieval Archaeology Vol 9, p192

Medieval Archaeology Vol 10, p191-2

Medieval Archaeology Vol 11, p286-7

Medieval Archaeology Vol 22, p15

Medieval Archaeology Vol 85, p70-71

26 Castle Street Ludgershall 1998 Wessex Archaeology

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