Some poorly known castles. News from Gatehouse.
about 90m. across, encloses the mound and an area 70m. by 30 m. which is banded off and described as waste. The field is called Great Castle. The field names evidently perpetuate the tradition of some form of fortification and it seems probable that the mound represents a motte with the possibility of a small bailey. The entrance would presumably have been on the S. side adjacent to the ridgeway road. Strategically it is well placed, occupying the entire width of the ridgetop at this point except for the route it controlled. The lack of any documentary supporting evidence save the field names may indicate a minor fortification of brief duration as might occur during the period of the Anarchy. (PastScaperef. Field Investigators Comments F2 MJF 12-NOV-83) The current Lamerhooe farm was a somewhat more substantial medieval settlement but the Anarchy date and some of the discussion of tactical siting probably represents the received wisdom of the early 1980s.
Above: Leafield Barrow, Oxfordshire. Also know locally as Barry Tump. Reinterpreted as a Motte & Bailley castle. (Photo Jane Tomlinson - www.janetomlinson.com) Another example of a known earthwork that has been reinterpreted is Leafield Barrow (a.k.a. Barry Tump) in Oxfordshire (SP31611541) (http://homepage. mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/4638.html) Here the Oxfordshire HER record reads The motte measures 38m across and stands up to 4m high. It has a flat, oval summit which measures 19.9m from NW to SE and 12m from SE to NE. A square feature measuring 10.9m across with an internal depression 7.5m square and 0.3m deep is believed to be the remains of a stone keep, similar to that at Ascott dOyley. There is no evidence of a ditch around the base of this motte, the E side of which has been disturbed. Large round barrow about 12 high damaged on E side by water reservoir. C.25m diameter and 4m high. Damaged on E side by water reservoir. No evidence of ditch. Grass-grown and planted with trees, it has the appearance of having been opened. Mound stands in permanent pasture on highest point of low hill. It is eggshaped with the large end towards the NW and has a flattened and disturbed top. MPP reinterprets mound
Castle Studies Group Bulletin | Summer 2010 as motte castle of Norman date. (reference scheduling notice of 4 Jan 1995). The location, with the village at the foot of the motte, is classic for a motte although the lack of ditch and obscurity of a bailey have clearly made the identification as a motte difficult in the past. The site must have some features similar to barrows, given its previous identification, and there is a possibility this was a barrow reused as a motte. The village does not appear in Domesday. It may have been a royal manor associated with the royal hunting forest of Wychwood. If so then presumably the motte represented a royal foresters presence. In Cornwall the difficulty of differentiating between earthworks and the possible influence of preconceptions is well demonstrated at Castle Goff (SX08318260) (http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/ English%20sites/4684.html). Here an earthwork, which in any other part of the country would almost certainly be identified as a ringwork and bailey, has been labelled as a Iron Age round (a certain round lies close by). Ann Preston Jones and Peter Rose, in their summary of Cornish medieval archaeology published in 1986, called for this site to reconsidered and I would certainly suggest examining the online aerial photographs. (Preston-Jones, Ann and Rose, Peter, 1986, Medieval Cornwall Cornish Archaeology Vol. 25 p. 171 available online at http://www.cornisharchaeology.org. uk/index_htm_files/Documents/CA25-5s2.pdf

5 Lost sites, recorded in various sources of greater or lesser reliability, are also recorded in Gatehouse. A fine example is a castle of Richard Marmion identified by William Camden in Britannia as called Stippershull and placed hard by Polesworth, Warwickshire (http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20 sites/4502.html). In William Dugdales Antiquites of Warwickshire more detail is given. Stipershill. The place which bears this name, is situate on the Northern side of Anker, a little above Polesworth, where the ground has a naturall and steep descent to the River; and by the form of an old entrenchment, seems to have been a little Fortification. Till Edw. 3 time, I have not seen any thing of its name; but then being written Stipurashall, it was made use of, by the Lords of Tamworth-Castle, for the keeping of their Three-weeks-Court, as it had been (I presume) in the Marmions time: Which Court continued so kept there, for a long time after, as by severall Records appeareth, all the Tenants of the Fee, doing their suit and service there: but now it is usually kept no more than twice in the yeare. The placename Stipers Hill is on the modern map at SK273025 suggesting this was the site of Stippershull but there is no archaeological record either in PastScape or the Warwickshire HER for anything here. The Warwickshire HER informs me This area to the E of Polesworth has, however, never been subject to intensive background research or investigation. and they do not seem to have been aware of this potential castle site. An important Court, in a high status landscape, described by Camden as a castle and by Dugdale as a fortification does suggest a medieval fortification of some sort. The lack of remains is a concern but if on the bank above the river perhaps has been lost to river erosion, or destroyed by the railway. A rough racetrack built over a possible location is not going to make reading the medieval landscape any easier but might produce finds. (Refs. Dugdale, Wm., 1656, The Antiquities of Warwickshire (Thomas Warren) p. 809 a scanned copy is at http://www.archive.org/stream/ antiquitiesofwar00dugd#page/809/mode/1up William Camden, 1607, Britannia with an English translation by Philemon Holland - Online as a hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton, 2004 http:// www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/warkseng. html#warks15)

Further information on any of these sites, or any other possible sites of medieval fortifications, are always welcome. Please contact me at philipdavis@mac.com Philip Davis
dunt dolore doluptat wismod ex ero dolestie Left: 17th century engraving of William Dugdale, one of venim amRosto essit ad el iustrud dofine historian. the first keepers of the royal documents and a od ming eugue dioauthor of The Antiquities of Warwickshire cor He was the erostrud minim volorperosto digna ipsusti smodole ssisim iuscillan vel in vel in
CSG Accounts 2008/9: clarification
The CSG annual accounts for 2008/9, agreed at the 2010 AGM, show an item under income called Annual conference surplus 3,629.70. This should have been presented under two separate headings, since it includes the refund of the deposit paid the previous year to the hotel in Limerick in the amount of 2,030.69. The actual surplus for the conference, arising from a rare combination of unforeseeable beneficial savings in costs, including the intervening collapse in value of the pound against the euro, was therefore 1,559.01. Sincere apologies to the organisers of the Limerick conference for any embarrassment caused! Peter Purton, Treasurer.
In an effort to make the notebooks more easily accessible a crude index to the sites has been compiled based purely on the names used by Mrs Armitage counties and/or countries have NOT been added due to time constraints. The remaining 27 notebooks contain Mrs Armitages research notes and demonstrate the wide variety of sources she examined. As previously declared, any member of the Castle Studies Group is welcome to visit the archive in Leeds but should make an appointment first as the archivist is not always present. Contact details are; Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Claremont, 23 Clarendon Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9NZ. tel: 6362

CSG Members Publications

Heritage Open Days 2010
In the autumn the University of Wales Press will be publishing John Kenyons visitors guide to some of the key castles in Wales, entitled The Medieval Castles of Wales. The author was approached by UWP to produce a book on the castles of Wales in its Pocket Guide series, and this is the result, although the actual series itself has now ended. After an introductory chapter, Wales is divided into five geographic areas. There is a brief guide to further reading, and scattered throughout the book is a number of box features covering aspects such as mottes, Edward I in Wales, etc. There are 14 figures and 16 colour plates. Price to be announced.

Many historic properties within Britain, including castles and medieval sites, are open free of charge during dates in September. In the republic of Ireland the heritage dates are in August. Wales is set for its biggest-ever free celebration of architecture and cultural heritage this year. A record number of historic sites, either usually closed to the public or which normally charge for admission, will open their doors for free at certain times during September for Open Doors - European Heritage Days. Cadw, the Welsh Assembly Governments historic environment service will open monuments around Wales including Caernarfon Castle, Denbigh Castle, Rhuddlan Castle and Cilgerran Castle in west Wales. In Scotland, Doors Open Days is the largest free annual architectural event. It is coordinated nationally by the Scottish Civic Trust and is part of European Heritage Days along side Scottish Archaeology Month, coordinated by Archaeology Scotland (formerly known as the Council for Scottish Archaeology). Both are supported by Historic Scotland. From Cumbria to Cornwall, properties across England will throw open their doors for free as part of the countrys annual celebration of local architecture, history and culture. Supported nationally by English Heritage and run locally by an army of volunteers and community champions, Heritage Open Days takes place between 9 - 12 September.
Ella Armitage Archive update
Since the note in the Summer 2009 Bulletin about the Armitage archive held by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society we can report that the notebooks have now been catalogued.
In Ireland, heritage week is from 21 - 29 August. Events hosted nationwide are often quirky, almost always family friendly and fun, sometimes serious and Of the 33 notebooks in the collection 7 condefinitely diverse. Many are organised by local comtain particulars of sites visited by Mrs Armitage in the munities lending great authenticity and variety to the course of her researches. One notebook is a record of a events. Examples (to name but a few) include medieval trip to northern France and Normandy, two deal with fairs, night-time bat walks, wildlife walks and lectures, sites in Yorkshire, three notebooks deal with mainly classical music and poetry recitals, traditional music non-Yorkshire sites, and one covers mottes in Ireland. sessions, storytelling, historical re-enactments, and local history walks and talks, traditional skills workshops The entries range from a couple of lines to a and demos and maritime and coastal events. In addition couple of pages and references to some sites, particumany heritage sites and stately homes will offer free larly in Yorkshire, can be spread over several notebooks. admission or special concessions.

7 Castle was rebuilt, the princes came back and put it to the torch once again in 1215. But John de Braose, a Marcher Lord of Gower, once again rebuilt the castle, this time in hard-to-burn stone and its glory days began. The castle was a three-storey residence with fireplaces and garderobes on each floor. It was so well situated the Lords of Gower used it as their headquarters. It was the Camelot of the Swansea Bay region with important meetings held in its great hall, important visitors received there and jousting tournaments and feasts enjoyed in its grounds. Edward I stayed there in December 1284. But by the 1600s, the castle had declined in importance and a survey of Gower at that time described it as an old, decayed castle of little use but in a pleasant situation. In 1927 the then Duke of Beaufort handed the castle over to Swansea Corporation. In a 2003 report, Cadw labelled the Grade I-listed monument as being the castle in the worst condition of those that were open to the public in Wales. It concluded that restoration work was critical in order to avoid its inevitable closure, with the coming works aimed at returning access to 95% of its public area. The castle is an important visitor attraction in Swansea Bay. Swansea council leader Chris Holley said: It is one of the most famous landmarks in this area and has a fascinating history. {story continues - page 8.]

NEWS WALES

Chepstow Castle reopens restored Gloriette
This spring saw the opening of the newly restored and beautifully painted Gloriette in the grounds of Chepstow Castle. Chepstow, on its rock above the swirling waters of the River Wye, stands guard over a strategic crossing point into Wales. In a land of castles, Chepstow can rightly claim special status. Begun by the Normans, not long after the Battle of Hastings (1066), it was amongst the first of Britains stone-built castles. Cadws Lifelong Learning Manager, Adrienne Goodenough, said, This is the first opportunity for visitors to come and have a look at the gloriettes beautiful refurbished room. Its also a great time for children and families to get out and about over the holidays and explore their local heritage. Special family storytelling days marked the opening of the newly restored and beautifully painted Gloriette in the grounds of Chepstow.
Revealing the dark secrets of Oystermouth Castle
The Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust is carrying out a dig at Oystermouth castle as we go to press, ahead of a 1.7m restoration project, including 800,000 of National Lottery Heritage Fund money. Around 50% of the crumbling medieval castle is currently closed to the public for safety reasons, but the new cash injection will help return it to something like its former glory. Edith Evans, heritage and outreach manager at the trust, said the trust wanted volunteers who were interested in Welsh history to help with the dig. She said: We will be opening up more of the ditch in front of the west gate tower, and digging two small trenches behind the castle to see whether this was the site of an outer bailey, an enclosure that would have housed buildings like stores and stables. The castle began its long and colourful life in 1106 at a time when the King of England, Henry I, defeated his older brother Robert Curthouse, Duke of Normandy at Tinchebrai, and had him imprisoned at Devizes Castle. Then, the first fortress at Oystermouth, set on a bank overlooking the sea, was established by William De Londres, who also built Ogmore on the banks of the Ewenny. But it did not go down well with the marauding Princes of Deheubarth, based at Dinefwr near Llandeilo, who burnt the castle down in 1116. Deheubarth was created by Hwyel Dda in 905 and it would eventually be divided into Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire. After Oystermouth

Above: Oystermouth Castle, Gwent.
8 Ms Evans said: Last year when we began our excavations we dug three trenches in an area outside the west gate tower of the castle and on its knoll. The inner walls of the gate towers are still standing, but there had been some disagreement among archaeologists and historians as to whether the outer walls had been built and then demolished, or had never been built at all, so this was one of the things we wanted to find out about. We were mostly working in Victorian rubble last year, so most of the pottery and other small finds were relatively recent, but there was some medieval pottery, including imports from the south of France.
Castle Studies Group Bulletin | Summer 2010 The custody of the site is undertaken by a key keeper and the inner ward is locked after sundown. There remains, however, an almost inevitable vulnerability to damage now that the conservation is complete and the site unmanned. While the inner and outer wards are managed to secure preservation of buried archaeology, earthworks and terracing within the adjacent woodland remain vulnerable to tree roots and wind-throw.
Archaeologists find remains of Nevern Castle in Wales

Dinefwr Castle

Dinefwr Castle has been closed until further notice due to the potential danger of falling masonry caused by exceptional frost damage over the recent harsh winter. Dinefwr retains substantial remains of a native Welsh castle - principal stronghold of the princes of Deheubarth, held by the Lord Rhys in the twelfth century. Later taken by King Edward I and retained as a royal stronghold. Dinefwr castle lies within the woodland owned by the Wildlife Trust South and West Wales and is in state guardianship. The ruins are managed and maintained by Cadw on behalf of the National Assembly of Wales. The castle masonry and the outer earthworks have been conserved and were considered stable until the effects of the last winter.
Archaeological excavations on the site of Nevern Castle in Wales has revealed a large group of buildings thought to date from the 12th century. It is hoped that the discovery will provide new details on the history of the Norman fortress that was built in 1108. The excavations were directed by Dr Chris Caple from Durham University and supported by Peter Crane, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Archaeologist. The team also included students from Durham and Lampeter University and local volunteers from Cardigan, Newport and the Nevern area. Speaking of the finds, Dr Chris Caple said: This seasons excavations enabled us to make good progress in revealing and understanding the structures of the 12th century occupation (two towers and three hall-like buildings) of Nevern Castle. These constructions now appear to have been a highly desirable stone residence, a visible display of wealth and significant technical achievement. The recent excavation has revealed substantial evidence for buildings. On the inner castle the remains of a square stone tower have started to appear the top of the remaining walls must be over two metres higher than ground on which it was built. Beside this tower was evidence of a lean-to structure against the castles perimeter wall. Elsewhere in the castle, and probably of similar date, the extent of what was probably the Great Hall was uncovered. It was built of stone and some twentytwo metres long by eight metres wide and, given the width of the walls, was probably a two storey building. This hall was constructed against another building, possibly a chapel or high class accommodation, to be investigated in the next phase of excavation. Until this discovery, little of Nevern Castle could be seen. Located in Pembrokeshire, the castle was built by the Norman marcher lord Robert fitz Martin around 1108. The castle was destroyed and rebuilt during the 12th century but after 1197 was abandoned. A Norman church remains near the site of the castle. The site also has a Celtic cross, which dates from the 9th or 10th century.

Above: Athenry Castle and adjoining town walls, County Galway. Among the work they have done is:
Trim Town Walls Conservation Plan Rindoon, Co. Roscommon: A Management Plan Carlingford and Derry - A Tale of Two Historic Irish Medieval Walls of Kilkenny City
The other funding announced will go to a variety of projects, including the conservation of historic churches as well as money handed over to local authorities for heritage projects. Minister Gormley added local authorities are best placed for recognising structures at a local level that are deserving of funding and make a significant impact on our built heritage as a whole. Many of the protected structures that receive funding are a valuable and irreplaceable element of our heritage and give character to our cities, towns and villages. Further details of the Irish Walled Towns Initiative can be found on their website: http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/irish-walled-towns/ Walled Towns
Irish Walled Towns Initiative receives 850,000
The Irish government announced in the Spring that the Walled Towns Initiative will receive 850,000 in funding this year. The news came as part of an announcment by John Gormley, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government of over 11.5m to support built heritage projects in Ireland. The Minister stated This funding package underlines the continued commitment to the preservation and conservation of our rich built heritage by the State. Our built heritage is inextricably linked with our sense
Winchelsea, Medieval New Towns Conference, May 2010.
uring an exceptional fine late spring weekend over 80 people gathered at Winchelsea, in East Sussex, to discuss New Towns of the Middle Ages and the legacies of Maurice Beresford. Many of those present were members of the hosting Winchelsea Archaeological Society or local residents. Members of the Castle Studies Group were also in attendance. The event was chaired by Dr Keith Lilley.
concentrated on English towns, with also occasional references to European towns. Irish new towns were not discussed at all. Jeremy Haslams discussion of Saxon town burhs brought some time range to the topic and historic, geographic and archaeological approaches to new town studies were covered by various papers. Winchelsea itself was discussed in some detail in papers by reconstruction artist Dominic Andrews and archaeologists David Martin and Casper Johnson. Given the importance of Winchelsea it is perhaps surprising
The opening talk by Professor Jean-Loup Abb of Toulouse University was a most fascinating and informative discussion on the bastides of south west France. Professor Abbs talk, held in the magnificent chancel of the 13th century St Thomass Church, set the scene for the week-end conference. A point made by Prof. Abb was that bastides were large undefended villages. The comparison between the welsh colonial towns of Edward I, for which defences so often play such an important part, made in the past seems to give a quite false impression of these south-western European new towns. For the rest of the weekend the conference moved into the primary school of Winchelsea, which provided a reasonable venue, although child sized chairs were not comfortable. The rest of the conference

Above: Strand Gate, Winchelsea. Inner side of gate showing toothing on right hand turret where town wall was attached. how little archaeology has been done there, shown by the fact that only a handful of coins have been recovered from the town. In questions Tim Tatton Brown asked about the unique morphology of Winchelseas street plan (the plans subtle nuances - such as the lack of back alleys), perhaps only matched at New Salisbury, but this seems to be an unconsidered question beyond the obvious grid pattern. The possibility of an intent to build a royal castle at Winchelsea was also raised. Two possible areas of the hill top on which New Winchelsea was built have been proposed for such a castle. The high area is the North East of the town, the site of the original village of Iham and an area outside the borough, has the name
Castle Studies Group Bulletin | Summer 2010 castle field. However this land was held by Fecamp Abbey. The King did have considerable land in the south of the borough, on the lowest part of the hill, well away from the high status areas and the wharfs in an unlikely area for a castle and which, in practice, was the area of low status housing. Given the lack of an economic hinterland for Winchelsea and the boroughs privileges regarding trade it is difficult to see how a royal castle at Winchelsea would be supported and what function it would have. It would be nice to know the first date of the castle field name and its earlier versions (see Postscript). Winchelseas town defences were a matter of some slight discussion. The surviving masonry remains are three of the four major gates, and a recently discovered section of town wall with a bastion near a footpath down to one of the springs on the lower slopes of the Winchelsea Hill on the eastern side near the site of Grey Friars. The whole town of Winchelsea is surrounded by the original medieval ditches and dykes that may or may not have had associated walls or palisades. Considering the wealth and size of Winchelsea in the late 13th century (The Felixstowe of its day) the notable feature of the gates are their small size and plain design. The town wall, which may never have fully enclosed the site, is also thin and is mainly a revetment of the hillside. It would have been visually imposing, certainly from the seaward approach. The supposed bastion may actually have been part of a stair and Below: Strand Gate, Winchelsea. Window in ground floor turret looking outward towards approach road from harbour.
Above: Pipewell Gate, Winchelsea. Exterior view. small gate giving access to the spring below. What is notable is how effectively this wall has been robbed, but considerable amounts of stone were used in later attempts to maintain Rye as a port through the construction of breakwaters, as the sea retreated. Dominic Andrews proposed an interesting idea that Winchelsea operated a one way system for traffic from the docks to the town centre, with traffic entering the town via the architecturally more imposing and somewhat larger Strand Gate and leaving via the plain Pipewell Gate. A notable feature of the Strand Gate is a ground floor chamber in one turret which has a large window looking down the road to the port. This large window makes no defensive sense but would provide good light and visibility for a bailiff using this room to record incoming taxable goods. Although most of the trade coming to Winchelsea was shipped on to other ports the town did store these goods in the famous cellars so that ships could carry cargos on both legs of their voyages and so that goods did not flood markets but were released in a controlled manner. The conference ended with a field seminar around Winchelsea. Taking a group of 50+ people up and down medieval stairs into dark cellars had its challenges, and the leader made a sterling job in trying to keep to his timetable. A final extra visit beyond the original itinerary, allowed a small party of determined members of the group to visit the private land at the edge of Winchelsea where to largest section of medieval town wall still survives. The conference was notable for the quality of the speakers, the range of subjects and periods relating to the subject and to the interest and expertise of the delegates who made for lively discussion sessions throughout the week end. Conference report by Philip Davis and Peter A Burton Postscript: In 1487 Richard Guldeford was granted Iham as part of the arrangement to construct a defensive tower le Camber. The Castle Field name may reflect a field the rent of which was set aside to fund Camber Castle. (Ref. CPR 1485-95 p. 151)

NEWS EUROPE/WORLD

The Spanish Association of Friends of Castles. Inventory of Defensive Architecture
The details are shared with the Ministry of Culture, working closely with the Autonomous Communities spread around the country. The ultimate goal of the survey is that as many as possible historic fortified sites may be declared sites of cultural interest. Results to date
The Spanish Association of Friends of Castles has been carrying out an inventory of defensive architecture since 1998 with the help of the Spanish Ministry of Culture. The development of the inventory of this type has been one of the Associations priorities from the time of its foundation in 1952: The inventory, which currently has more than 10,000 records, is a real audit of Spanish defense architecture. In 1998 the Spanish governments General Directorate of Fine Arts and Cultural Heritage within the Ministry of Culture approved the creation of the inventory as a National Plan of Castles and entrusted the project to the Spanish Association of Friends of Castles as the institution best suited by experience and national standing. The Association already had experience in this work, having participated in the drafting of the European Inventory of Heritage (IPCE): Spain. Military Monuments of Architecture, published in 1968. Now entering its twelfth year of survey the Association is making the existence of the inventory more widely known. Composition Of Inventory The majority of items added to the inventory of fortified historic building will be from the medieval period, but others are added regardless of their chronology or artistic value, and so are not just castles, towers and walls. Although, according to the Ministry, items from prehistoric times to the Twentieth Century should be included they will only be in the most significant and exceptional cases Form of Inventory Designed in the form of a computerised database constantly updated, entries are in three main tables
Currently (Summer 2010) the inventory contains
sites all with descriptive details and photographs. fortress providing a wealth of statistics and knowledge of the Spanish fortified architectural heritage. ing of the actual situation concerning the castles of Spain. tion to more buildings than ever before.

13 The state of conservation of the main castle has been described as dilapidated and in danger of occurence of landslides and mudslides especially in the wall paintings, the Patio de Armas (main courtyard) and the Torre del Homenaje, (the keep) explains the Daroca authorities. They also note that the tower also presents a significant tilt in one of its edges with large cracks that show that is opening up and splitting. The works are to be carried out urgently to stabilize the walls, the Keep and the Patio de Armas. Since 2007, when the Government of Aragon established an employment workshop as one of the first steps to undertake consolidation of the enclosure, it has intervened and consolidated a section of the wall near the hill of San Cristobal, the highest part of the site. The Daroca medieval compound has a perimeter of 3 km and in the last century a number of conservation measures took place including some restoration works in doorways and basements, in main turrets and masonry walls in the lower parts of the towers to maintain stability.
Above: Daroca, Zaragoza, Spain. Islamic walls. The mayor of Daroca, Alvaro Blasco, along with members of the municipal corporation have been several times to Madrid to meet with the director general of the Spanish Historical Heritage Institute and its technical meetings that have paid off and soon to be signed the agreement of the grant aid of EUR for carrying out urgent works in the main castle. The mayor stressed that this assistance is very important for the city and its citizens, being the main physical reminder of the cities heritage, as well as being a cultural and tourist attraction for the town. The mayor also explained that discussions are ongoing with the Government of Aragon Heritage Department for assistance with the further restoration of walled Daroca and to help develop a master plan for the walled enclosure. Daroca was a major walled city of Islamic Spain, enclosing hills and a fertile valley between, where the medieval town was and still is, clustered. The highest point of the enclosure has a citadel or castle, separately defended. Little or no archaeological excavations have taken place here and there is much to discover. Most of the enclosed space within the still impressive circuit of walls remains un-developed.
Spanish Ministry of Culture allocates euros for the rehabilitation of the walls of Daroca.

Castle Studies Group Bulletin | Summer 2010 Current News stories & Videos real time RSS feeds from Google & other search engines and BBC news looking for daily news articles on medieval castles. Plus news from English Heritage etc. Image Galleries - with multiple automated slide shows of previous CSG annual conferences and in-depth views of selected visited castles, e.g. Caldicot, using a variety of Flash and Java tools. Revised, & much extended Links page.
15 history. In February the city council decided to close the museum, along with Roman Museum and the Hernes Bay Museum, because of a lack of funds. The decision was met with protests from the local community, and efforts have been made to seek another solution to the situation.
Scottish Castles Initiative Update
Each page includes some or all of the features mentioned below: Automatic rolling banner slide-shows for some web-page headers Direct link to Philip Daviss Gatehouse website; Revised/improved/new navigation bars All new, improved page layouts and images. Larger & clearer text & fonts, using Trebuchet (e.g. the font of this article). Extensive search facilities that drill down into all the pdf content.
We reported this time last year (CSG Bulletin Summer 2009) on the launch by Historic Scotland of the Scottish Castles Initiative. A considerable amount of progress has been made in the intervening 12 months, particularly with the Castles Conservation Register. The following account brings the initiative up to date. Castle Restoration There is a long tradition of successful castle and tower house restoration in Scotland as seen at Duart Castle which was restored in the early 20th century and Fenton Tower in the early 21st. Restoration projects are by their nature likely to be complex and restoration will not be an appropriate course of action in every case. However Historic Scotland believes that there is potential for more and this initiative is intended to make the process of taking forward restoration projects more straightforward and transparent. The Scottish Castle initiative is designed to encourage investment in this aspect of Scotlands built heritage by providing advice on processes and best practices, and by offering exemplars of successful past projects.
To set up access to the Members page, you will need to send an email to the Editor : editor@ castlestudiesgroup.org.uk using the (your) email address you will normally want to use. You will then receive an email from Serif Web Resources giving you a one-off passcode to set up your entry, which you can then later change to a passcode of your choice. Please send all details of relevant Conferences likely to be of interest to members to the Journal Editor for inclusion on the website.

CASTLE CONSERV ATION REGISTER The Castle Conservation Register identifies ruined castles and tower houses that Historic Scotland believe could be successfully restored and reused. The Neil Guy register is not definitive; there will certainly be other castles or tower houses that might be candidates for restoration. The Register provides guidance on the fac Westgate Tower Museum in Canterbury is tors that Historic Scotland takes into account when it saved from closure responds to proposals for restoration. Historic Scotland is not actively proposing the A medieval landmark in Canterbury, England, which was facing closure because of lack of revenues, will now castles on the register for restoration but hopes that by drawing attention to cases where we believe restorabe kept open and leased to a local businessman. The Westgate Tower Museum, the largest medieval gateway tion is acceptable in principle, it will encourage suitable schemes to come forward. in Great Britain, will now be operated by Charles Lam The Castle Conservation Register highlights bie, who owns an old jail next door to the museum. Mr. Lambie has already donated 250,000 to the Canterbury ruined castles and tower houses that could be successfully restored and reused. The register offers guidance City Council to keep the museum open. on the factors that Historic Scotland considers when it Mr. Lambie plans to combine the museum and responds to proposals for restoration. old jail into one attraction that will include a cafe. In The register is not definitive; there will be other an interview with the BBC, he described the Westgate castles/towers that could be potential candidates for Tower as Canterburys second most iconic building restoration and not all castles on the list are likely to after the cathedral. If ever I have visitors coming to come forward for restoration schemes. The majority of Canterbury I always start by taking them to the Westthe castles on the Register are not for sale. gate Towers, go up those wonderful staircases, and you can look over the whole city. You can see Canterbury in For fuller details see: www.historic-scoland.gov. minutes. uk/index/heritage/scottishcastleinitiative.htm The Westgate Tower was built around 1380. Its museum houses artefacts related to the citys military

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Request for information Original wooden castle doors and gates

DIARY DATES

The 2011 CSG Conference The Castles of Essex (provisional title) 7 - 10 April 2011
I am preparing a short article for publication in the next CSG Journal on surviving original medieval timber gates and doors in the form of a survey of examples. I would be very grateful for any information CSG members might have on the existence of original castle doors, gates and portcullis, particularly lesser known examples from within the UK and Ireland. The gates of Chepstow, Hay-on-Wye, Dunster, Thornton Abbey Gatehouse and Bodiam are amongst those already in the survey, but information about any other examples will be gratefully received. Please contact me via e-mail at bulletin@ castlestudiesgroup.org.uk Many thanks. Peter A Burton