Canterbury Castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Description

Canterbury Castle was built as a royal castle circa 1085-1125. It was used as a prison from circa 1293, however by 1335 the castle was largely in ruins. The castle walls and gates were demolished in 1792 and the medieval topography was gradually destroyed. The square keep and a small portion of the bailey wall of circa 1085 are the only part still standing. However, other sections of the castle have been located by recent excavations. Canterbury Castle stood in the south of the town just within the city wall, which formed the south boundary of its inner bailey. The square Norman keep is made of bands of flint and Caen stone blocks. There were originally four arched windows to each side. The interior has two cross walls and the remains of spiral staircases in the east and south-west wall and of fireplaces of rubble set in a herringbone pattern have survived. The keep measures 87 by 75 feet externally and the walls are 9 feet thick. The other defences consisted of a rectangular curtain wall with angle turrets and a ditch, entered through two gates. The approximate alignment of the bailey defences can be seen here as a break in slope of the ground surface behind oast houses south of Gas Lane. (PastScape)

The remains of a square Norman keep. 2 storeys above ground level (it was reduced in height in 1817) built in bands of flint and Caen stone blocks. There were originally 4 arched windows to each side. The interior has 2 cross walls and the remains of spiral staircases in the east and south-west wall. Remains of fireplaces of rubble set in a herringbone pattern. The keep measures 87 by 75 feet externally and the walls are 9 ft thick. (Listed Building Report)

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1005194, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number ke1
National Heritage List for England Listed Building number(s) 1252100
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 464740.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) TR 15 NW 784 see also the Canterbury Urban Archaeological Database searchable from Heritage Gateway.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Wikipedia entry
  Paul Martin Remfry
  Charles Taylor's ecastles
  Kent History Forum
  Norman Connections
Books
- Goodall, John, 2011, The English Castle 1066-1650 (Yale University Press) p. 117, 119, 120
  Purton, P.F., 2009, A History of the Early Medieval Siege c. 450-1220 (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press) p. 175
  Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 21-2
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 111-13
  Drage, C., 1987, 'Urban castles' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 117-32 online copy
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 228
  Newman, John, 1983, Buildings of England: North east and east Kent (Harmondsworth) p. 246
  Bennett, P., Frere, S.S. and Stow, S., 1982, The Archaeology of Canterbury Vol. 1, Excavations at Canterbury Castle (Kent Archaeological Society for the Canterbury Archaeological Trust)
  Frere, S.S., Stow, S. and Bennett, P., 1982, The Archaeology of Canterbury Vol. 2, Excavations on the Roman and Medieval Defences of Canterbury (Maidstone: Kent Archaeological Society for the Canterbury Archaeological Trust) p. 50-6
  Renn, D.F., 1982, 'The decoration of Canterbury Castle keep' in Medieval Art and Architecture at Canterbury before 1220 (British Archaeological Association Transactions) p. 125-8
  Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 201
  Smithers, David Waldron, 1980, Castles in Kent (Chatham)
  Guy, John, 1980, Kent Castles (Meresborough Books)
  Newman, John, 1976, Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald (Harmondsworth) p. 237-8
  Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 130
  Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol. 2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p. 588-90
  Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p. 72-74
  Toy, Sidney, 1939, Castles: A short History of Fortifications from 1600 BC to AD 1600 (London) p. 72-3
  Braun, Hugh, 1936, The English Castle (Batsford) p. 35, 38
  Enderby, 1932, The Norman Keep Canterbury Castle (Canterbury)
  Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p. 116-121 online copy
  Thompson, A. Hamilton, 1912, Military Architecture in England during the Middle Ages (OUP) p. 46, 120, 128 online copy
  Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  Sands, Harold, 1907, 'Some Kentish Castles' in Ditchfield and Clinch, Memorials of Old Kent (London) p. 165-72 online copy
  Mackenzie, J.D., 1896, Castles of England; their story and structure (New York: Macmillan) Vol. 1 p. 6-7 online copy
  Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol. 1 (London) p. 333-4 online copy
  Hasted, Edward, 1778-99, The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent Vol. 4 p. 408-11
  King, Edward, 1804, Munimenta antiqua or Observations on antient castles (W.Bulmer and Co) Vol. 3 p. 210 online copy
  King, Edward, 1782, Observations on Antient Castles (London) p. 28-30, 124-34
  Buck, Samuel and Nathaniel, 1774, Buck's Antiquities (London) Vol. 1 p. 123
  Grose, Francis, 1785 (new edn orig 1756), Antiquities of England and Wales (London) Vol. 3 p. 14-18 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Richard Nevell, 2014-15, 'Castles as prisons' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol. 28 p. 203-224
  Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' The English Historical Review Vol. 106 p. 371-392 view online copy (subscription required)
  Renn, D.F., 1983, 'Canterbury Castle: a case study' Château Gaillard Vol. 11 p. 253–5
  Bennett, P., Frere, S.S. and Stow, S., 1982, 'Excavations at Canterbury Castle' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 98 p. 236
  Selkirk, A., 1981, 'Canterbury' Current Archaeology Vol. 7.9 p. 269-75
  Tatton-Brown, T., 1978-80, 'Canterbury' Current Archaeology Vol. 6 p. 78-82
  Tatton-Brown, T., 1976, 'Excavations in 1976 by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust: Canterbury Castle' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 92 p. 240 (slight) online copy
  Millard, L., 1972, 'A Note on the Excavations at Canterbury Castle, 1971' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 87 p. 205-8 online copy
  1972, Medieval Archaeology Vol. 16 p. 181 download copy
  Renn, D.F. , 1970, 'The defences of Canterbury' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 126 p. 238-9 (Plan)
  Brown, R. Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' The English Historical Review Vol. 74 p. 249-280 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 90-121) view online copy (subscription required)
  Brown, R. Allen, 1955, 'Royal Castle-building in England 1154-1216' The English Historical Review Vol. 70 (Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)) p. 19-64
  Webster, 1940, 'Notes on the Discovery of the Foundations of a Gatehouse at the Norman Castle, Canterbury, 1939' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 53 p. 143-5
  Enderby, H.M., 1932 Nov. 19, Kentish Gazette and Canterbury Press
  Horne, G., 1929, The Archaeological Journal Vol. 86 p. 243-7 (plans) online copy
  Armitage, E., 1904 April, 'The Early Norman Castles of England' The English Historical Review Vol. 19 p. 209-245, 417-455 esp. 219-22 online copy
  Clark, G.T., 1875, The Archaeological Journal Vol. 32 p. 490-494 online copy
  1794, The Gentleman's Magazine Part 2 p. 909-10 online copy
  King, Edward, 1782, 'Sequel to the observations on Ancient Castles' Archaeologia Vol. 6 p. 300-10 (reprint in Antient Castles)
  King, Edward, 1777, 'Observations on antient castles' Archaeologia Vol. 4 p. 364-413 esp 390-2 (reprint in Antient Castles) online copy
Guidebooks
- Ian Coulson and Andy Harmsworth, n.d. (post 2005), Canterbury City Walls (Kent County Council) (A teacher resource pack with much useful content) online copy
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- 1086, Domesday Book online copy
  Ingram, James, (ed) 1912, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Everyman Press, London) Laud Chronicle AD1140 view online transcription (Ingram's translation and notes date from 1823. More recent translations of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles should be consulted for serious study)
  Pipe Rolls 1172-4, 1190-3 ff. (see Pipe Roll Society for published references)
  Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) (lists sources for 1272-1422) p. 259-64
  C145/128(1) (Survey of 1335) The National Archives reference (calendared in Maxwell Lyte, H.C., 1916, Calendar of Inquisitions Miscellaneous (Chancery), preserved in the Public Record Office (H.M.S.O.) Vol. 2 p. 354 No. 1454 online copy)
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Camden, Wm, 1607, Britannia hypertext critical edition by Dana F. Sutton (2004)
  Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p. 259
  Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1909, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (London: Bell and Sons) Vol. 4 p. 69 online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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