Mere Castle

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Mere Castle

Mere Castle , also known as Castle Hill in the area , is a ruined castle above the village of Mere in the English county of Wiltshire . Richard of Cornwall had the castle built in stone in 1253 on a hill above the village, with six towers, buildings in the courtyard and gates. In the 14th century, Mere Castle was abandoned and its masonry and metalwork used to build other buildings. Today only earthworks remain.

history

construction

The village of Mere was a small, insignificant settlement in the early 13th century. In 1243 Richard of Cornwall acquired the manor. Richard was the brother of King Henry III. and immensely rich. In 1253 he started building the castle.

The castle was built on Long Hill , a range of chalk hills above the village. The hill was flattened and provided with a 5 meter deep trench on the west side. As the archaeologist Phil McMahon describes, documents indicate that the castle was "a rectangular complex made of stone with six towers, which contained a great hall , an inner and an outer gate, a deep well and a chapel " and so presumably as one smaller version of Framlingham Castle looked like. The entrance to the castle was believed to be to the west and a road led up the southern slope to it. At the same time, the village was expanded into a planned settlement and an unofficial market was held regularly. The castle was renovated around 1300, possibly in response to the threat of rebellion in England at the time.

Decline

Richard's son Edmund inherited the property after Edmund's death it returned to the Crown. King Edward II bestowed them on his favorite Piers Gaveston , whom he made Earl of Cornwall . In 1327 Edward II and Piers Gaveston lost their power and John , Edward's second son, took possession of the castle as the new Earl of Cornwall. King Edward III bought the castle again and it became a permanent part of the Duchy of Cornwall .

In the 14th century, however, the castle fell into disrepair and was given up. In 1398, King Richard II had the roofing removed and used for the construction of Portchester Castle . In 1660, visitors reported that all of the masonry had been demolished, and reports from the 18th century mention that the building blocks were used to expand the settlement at the foot of the castle, which had flourished in wool and later linen .

21st century

Today, in the 21st century, the castle grounds are considered a Scheduled Monument . It belongs to the Duchy of Cornwall and is leased to the local council. A flagpole illuminated at night and a war memorial in memory of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division are on the castle grounds today. Every year at Easter a ceremony is held at the castle ruins.

Archaeological research

Archaeological surveys were carried out on the site by TH Baker and CN Wyld in 1887, but much of their results were later lost.

Mere Castle (left) above the village of Mere (right)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d e Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. p. 12.
  2. ^ John Goodall: The English Castle . Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2011. ISBN 978-0-300-11058-6 . P. 188.
  3. ^ Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. pp. 7, 12.
  4. ^ Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. p. 14.
  5. ^ Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. pp. 5, 12.
  6. ↑ a b c d James Dixon Mackenzie: Castles in England: Their Story and Structure . Volume 1. Macmillan, New York 1896. p. 230.
  7. ^ A b Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. p. 7.
  8. ^ Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. pp. 5, 7.
  9. ↑ Mere Castle Hill . Gatehouse Gazetteer. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  10. ^ Castle and Long Hill, Mere, Wiltshire: Management Plan . Mere Parish Council. 4. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  11. ^ Castle and Long Hill, Mere, Wiltshire: Management Plan . Mere Parish Council. Pp. 4-5. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  12. ^ Castle and Long Hill, Mere, Wiltshire: Management Plan . Mere Parish Council. S. 5. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  13. ^ Phil McMahon: The Archeology of Wiltshire's Towns, an Extensive Urban Survey . Chapter: Mere . Wiltshire County Archeology Service, Trowbridge 2004. p. 5. 
Koordinaten: 51° 5′ 27,6″ N, 2° 16′ 22,1″ W