Monument record 4745/1/1 - Castle earthworks (Morphed Aerial Archaeology Interpretation)

Earthwork: Non-destructive fieldwork

{1} Castle earthworks. Rough triangular area raised approx 1m above adjacent land and surrounded by large ditch up to 5m deep. Above ditch is well marked inner rampart or bank 1m-1.5m high above the interior. Ditch is largely destroyed on south west side. Interior is uneven and overgrown, and featureless apart from a sloping platform 0.5m high on the south east side. Bridges said that 'the entrance… seems to have been on the western side'. Presumably he was referring to the gap in the inner reampart in the centre of the south west side but this gap does not appear now to be an entrance. Plan included.

{5} The ditch is shown filled with water and the area is called Castle Mound.

{6} Subrectangular bank 1m high enclosing a central area of 50m diameter. A ditch of 10m wide x 5m deep surrounds on all sides except south west. Interior area probably preserves remains of buildings.

{7} Aerial photos NCCAP:SP7446/001-4 & SP7447/001-2

{8} Watching brief during construction of access ladder up south side of ditch/rampart. No indication of walling or coursing was present and the fill of the holes dug was otherwise sterile.

{9} A weak curving high resistance anomaly runs through the centre of the survey area and is on the same orientation as the moat and as such could be associated with it. The high resistance readings in the northeastern corner are due to the moat.

{10} The moat was at least 2.5m deep and 10.15m wide with fairly steep sides' the base was not reached. The ditch was filled by a number of deposits, which appear to have formed as the result of silting episodes rather than deliberate backfilling. The earliest deposit contained residual Iron Age pottery. The ditch may have been recut but it was not done evenly. If it was recut, it would have made the base uneven with steep sides 1.6m deep. All of the fills contained limestone inclusions.
The rampart rose to approx 5m above the level of the moat around its exterior edge, 2.5m above the inferior. The rampart was made up of a series of deposits that were dumped over the natural bedrock to heighten what may have been a natural rise in the ground. Some collapse of the rampart was evident.
A possible wall, consisting of an unfaced concentration of limestone boulders was seen at the base of the slope of the rampart. This may have been constructed to retain the rampart, or as a make-up layer. Two stony layers butted up against this, possibly as a result of collapse of part of a building platform seen as an earthwork in this area (4745/1/7).

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.62/Site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.403 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP74NW14 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<4> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.280 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77325.

<5> 1726, Map of Alderton, (unchecked) (Map). SNN59325.

<6> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<7> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

<8> Cadman, G.E., 1998, The Mount, Alderton: Note on Watching Brief Maintained During Construction of Pedestrian Steps and Fieldgate, (checked) (Notes). SNN49785.

<9> Hirst, K., 2006, An Archaeological Investigation at The Mount, Alderton, Northamptonshire, p.35 (checked) (Report). SNN106479.

<10> Hirst, K., 2006, An Archaeological Investigation at The Mount, Alderton, Northamptonshire, p.6-7 (checked) (Report). SNN106479.

<11> Blinkhorn P.; Curteis M.; Deighton K.; Hylton T.; Hegarty C., 2002, The Mount, Alderton, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN102584.

<12> Upson-Smith T., 2010, Archaeological Excavation at The Mount, Alderton, July-August 2010: Assessment Report and Proposals for Further Excavation (Draft), p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN107103.

<13> Horne B. (Editor), 2011, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter, 41/28 (checked) (Journal). SNN108274.

<14> Chapman P. (Ed.), 2012, Archaeology in Northamptonshire, 2010, 37/202 (checked) (Article). SNN108374.

Record last edited

Aug 8 2013 11:59AM