Monument record 1836/1/2 - Motte & Bailey Castle, Aldford

Bailey at Aldford Castle. Triangular and with an area of 4250sq.m. Boundary ditch is well preserved between the Motte & bailey and down the E side. The W arm is less complete and is heavily overgrown, and the S side is fragmentary. Much of the S ditch must have been filled when the present church was built in 1866. On the E side the ditch is up to 2.5m deep with upcast banks on either side. The internal bank probably had a wooden palisade (1). Fragmentary inner bank 0.4m high extends round bailey. The causeway across the bailey ditch has been breached and only some masonry blocks remain in the sides of the ditch. The ditch of the N side of the Motte has been flattened by ploughing and only traces of the bank are apparent under the boundary hedge (2). Ormerod states that a manor house of the Ardernes was built in the bailey, based on its field name, Hall Croft or Hall Yard (3). However, it is more likely to have been built on the Motte (1).Triangular bailey with area of 4250sq.m. Bailey flanked by a dry ditch on E & W sides up to 19m wide & 215m deep. Upcast from this ditch has been used to create banks either side of the bailey's eastern ditch & adjacent to the largely infilled S. arm (5).

Trial trench excavated in 1999 to investigate an anomaly from a resistivity survey (6)

Excavation on 2000 consisted of two trenches, one a re-opening of the trial trench excavated in 1999 and the other a trench across a section of the bank and ditch around the eastern side of the bailey. Evidence recovered from the bailey suggested that there might have been a series of post built structures, possibly associated with a cobbled area. These timber buildings were deliberately and systematically destroyed in the medieval period. A clay bank was then built over part of the area where the structures stood, probably in the late 13th century. This clay bank may be the remains of an earthen wall mentioned in a 1286 dispute regarding services due at Aldford Castle. The eastern bailey ditch was found to have been heavily modified in the post-medieval period. Most of the sequence of medieval cuts and fills in the ditch were destroyed in the 19th century when the ditch was drastically re-cut and filled with building debris and red clay. What remains of the bank may originally have been constructed in the 13th century or later. Whether this is a replacement for an earlier bank is unknown

The finds assemblage is predominately medieval and post medieval. Ceramic building materials, pottery and glass form the principal group of artefacts.
The Bailey was clearly occupied during the 13th and 14th century. Unfortunately there was no evidence relating to any occupation or use of the site earlier than the 13th century or to the date of the abandonment of the site (7)

Excavations in 2002 were carried out in an area in the north western corner of the motte. The excavation was sited to investigate the high resistance anomalies selected. Two trenches were excavated.

Evidence from Trench IV points towards the exisitence of a significant masonary structure in this area of the motte.

The pottery found indicates intensive occupation in the 13th and 14th centuries, perhaps continuing into the 15th century. It is not possible to assign any specific date to the abandonment of the motte based on the evidence recovered.

Once the castle was no longer occupied, any standing structures were obviously levelled but precisely when this levelling occurred is impossible to say.

The lack of evidence for Norman Period occupation from the 1999-2002 excavations does begin to call into question a construction date of 11th of 12th century for Aldford Castle. (8)

<1> Sale B & Turner R C, 1985, The Motte & Bailey Castle at Aldford (Unpublished Document). SCH3216.

<2> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), /47 (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

<2> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), /47 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

<3> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, 2/756-8 (Y) (Book). SCH1389.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ45NW5/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<5> English Heritage, Various, Old/Original Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Description), 22486 (Scheduling Record). SCH4606.

<5> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 22486 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

<6> Chester Archaeology, 1999, Aldford Castle, Cheshire. 1999 Excavation Interim Report (Client Report). SCH8017.

<7> Chester Archaeology, 2000, Aldford Castle, Cheshire 2000: Excavation Interim Report (Client Report). SCH3909.

<8> Chester Archaeology, 2002, Aldford Castle, Cheshire 2002: Excavation Interim Report (Client Report). SCH4471.