Bury Mount
Bury Mount is a ruined castle in Towcester in the English county of Northamptonshire . From the Norman moth from the 12th century, only the remains of the earthworks , which are protected as a Scheduled Monument, remain today.
location
The moth is located on Moat Lane in Towcester, which was part of the route of the ancient Roman Watling Street from Dover via London to Wroxeter . It is similar to other moths in the area, e.g. B. those in Northampton , Buckingham , Little Houghton or Newport Pagnell . They were placed in strategically favorable places to monitor important transport routes and river crossings. From the Motte Bury Mount from supervised to the junction of Watling Street to the highway from Southampton to Stamford , which Winchester , Oxford , Brackley led and Northampton. The remains of the moth lie near Towcester Town Hall and St Leonard Church, east of the market square.
construction
The motte consisted of a small outer bailey and a high castle hill, which were surrounded by a large moat . The castle hill did not have the usual conical shape of a mound .
history
The presumed construction period fell in the period of anarchy (1135-1152), when England was divided between the supporters of King Stephen and those of Empress Matilda . It was around this time that Towcester fell from the Crown to the St Hilary family . The castle probably served as a token of their power, as a dwelling for the landlord's steward or greven , as a base for foot troops and cavalry that were needed in times of war, and as a lodging for the landlord and his entourage when traveling. The castle was dominated by the large castle hill with its tower, which served as both a fortress and a watchtower.
Documents show that there was a gate at the intersection of the two paths into the outer bailey in the 15th century. There were the living quarters for the constable of the castle and the small permanent garrison , separate kitchens, a brewery, barns and storage for food and equipment, stables, toilets and the well. The place was probably densely built up and very busy under the full garrison.
Castle mounds made of earth were usually equipped with palisade fences at their tops and access was provided by a drawbridge or ladder. In the well-defended upper part of the castle hill there was a tall wooden tower. The few excavations on old moths have already shown that they differed greatly in shape. It is possible that Bury Mount did not follow the standard shape. In 1392 it was described as a tower on a mound within a moat. This suggests that it may have been a stone tower, as wooden towers were uncommon at the time. Shortly before 1824, possibly when the southwest part of the castle hill was being dug up to build a farm, "an underground passage about 150 yards long" was found. These two documents suggest that the moth was of the same type as the one unearthed in South Mimms , Hertfordshire in the 1960s . Although the moth of South Mimms looked like a typical castle earthwork, it was discovered that "the tower was set on the castle mound and the entrance to the castle was via a tunnel through the castle mound into the tower." Most of the castle mound in South Mimms was disguised so little of it was seen. This castle was believed to have been built for the Earl of Essex around 1141 . If the Towcester moth were built in the same shape, it would be a rare piece that has survived to this day.
In 1392, when the castle belonged to Reginald Gray, 3rd Baron Gray de Ruthin , a charter of the Towcester manor was drawn up. On the castle grounds, the landlord's hall was arranged in a north-south direction. The administrator and important guests lived there, and this is where the legal processes were held. Sleeping chambers were at either end. The southern chamber, which faced the gate, was probably the parade chamber on the first floor - usually called "solar" - which, like the knight's hall , was covered with slate. The other room was thatched, which suggests that this was the administrator's apartment. Then there were separate kitchens to which the stables were attached. Both were thatched. There were two large barns that were "further away" and an ox house with a stable and shed under one roof, a pigeon house and an enclosure for 200 sheep.
At the end of the 15th century, the castle appears to have been abandoned and a new mansion was built on Park Street in Towcester. Part of this building has been preserved to this day and is called the Mint House .
In the winter of 1643/1644 Towcester became the winter quarters of the royalist cavalry under Prince Ruprecht . The city was fortified and Bury Mount served as a platform for two cannons. The latter was probably demolished when the royalists withdrew in the spring of 1644. Since then, Bury Mount has served as an orchard and then as a cottage garden for the farm at the foot of the Mound. The farms were later demolished.
restoration
The remains of the moth were restored in 2008. An access path was laid out, the bushes cut down, a park was created around the River Tove and the Mill Stream (Mühlbach) and information boards were set up. From 2013 to 2015, the South Northamptonshire Council implemented the Moat Lane Regeneration Scheme around Bury Mount. A new forum was set up and the area administration moved into it at the beginning of 2015. Then there were houses and small shops. Historic buildings in the area and empty farms on Moat Lane have also been restored.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bury Mount Motte castle . Historic England. English Heritage. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ Landscape designer appointed for Bury Mount restoration . Accessed on May 21, 2008. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
swell
- George Baker: The History & Antiquities of County of Northampton . Towcester, 1822-1834.
- B. Giggins: Bury Mount Castle, Towcester . Towcester & District Local History Society, Towcester 2006.
- J. Kenyon: Medieval Fortifications . 1990.
- NCC 2002 Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey — Towcester .
- Directory of Northamptonshire 1824 . Pigot & Co.
- Victoria County History 1906 . Chapter: Northamptonshire . Volume 2.
- W. Whellan: History, Gazetteer & Directory of Northamptonshire . 1849.
Web links
Coordinates: 52 ° 7 '58.8 " N , 0 ° 59" 16.8 " W.