NOTES ON PHILIP DAVIS'S GATEHOUSE GAZETTEERS OF MEDIEVAL FORTIFICATIONS

Information last update 4 July 2016.

The information in these gazetteers is almost entirely derived from published (including online) sources and represents little fieldwork on my part (It does, however, represent years of other research). This gazetteer is freely provided be me to assist those who study medieval fortifications and can be used and altered as required. However, it should be noted that a considerable amount of this gazetteer is derived from information compiled by and/or for copyright of English Heritage (and its successor Historic England), The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales, various other organisations and individuals under the general principle of fair use. These gazetteers are provided for personal study and any commercial use of the information in these gazetteers will require the permission of the numerous copyright holders. I will not assist in identifying these copyright holders beyond the information already given within the databases.

The Gazetteer can be converted into a database. There are several fields for each entry as below although the nature of the fields can also be derived from study of the website, in particular the help page will give details of how I am classifying the type of fortification. The gazetteers are provided in two formats; The FileMaker Pro format has the most layout informating and is a true database but, of course, requires that you own a copy of FileMaker Pro. The tab delimited database is the pure data and should be transferable into any database program (including Excel) although some formating work will need to be done to make it useable.
From November 2014 I no longer provide a separate Excel version of the database. This is because that version offers no particular benefits over the tab delimited version and the export of some data from Filemake is truncated.
If you need the databases in some other format please contact me at admin(at)gatehouse-gazetteer(full stop)info ad I will try to accommodate you.

The databases are used by me both for my own researches and as the bases for the Gatehouse website. Some fields in the database exist entirely to aid formatting of webpages.

Because of the limitations of file transfers bibliographical details are given in a plain text version of the Harvard convention with some coding used to allow conversion of these databases into standard Harvard notation in the Gatehouse website. The form is usually - Author surname, Forename (usual just as initials), date, 'article or chapter title' _book title_ or _journal name_ (place of publication: publisher) Vol. # p. #. I use the abbreviation Vol. for volume. The abbreviation p. is used for page and pages; I have not used pp for pages as I feel this is unnecessary. Part is abbreviated as pt. – However, quite often the reference may be in the form Vol. 2.3 for volume 2 part 3.

Note that within the database the following coding is used. Text between _text_ (Space underscore text underscore space) is meant to be read as in italic. Text between *text* (startextstar) is meant to be read as in bold. Hyperlinks are between square brackets (except in some fields in the Licences to crenellate database). Where the form [text > url] is found this produces a hyperlink to the given text (i.e. [Help > help.html] reads as Help in the website. Where in normal convention a square bracket would be used (such as comment inserted within a quotation) a curly bracket {} is used instead. Further details can be found in Fouth Wold WebMerge Help.

While I have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the data held within these gazetteers, it must be appreciated that much of this is compiled from secondary sources and that the information supplied may not be a full or reliable statement of the archaeological resource. I shall not be held liable in respect of any errors or omissions from the listing provided. (i.e. If you use this site for something important check the secondary sources that I give and then the sources they have used. The purpose of the site is make it easier to find those sources NOT to omit the need to check them.)

Fields - Wales

1. Name
2. Alternative Names
3. Modern Authority
4. Historic County
5. Preserved County
6. Community
7. Map Ref
   • Landranger grid reference usually eight figure
8. OS 6 figure Easting
9. OS 6 figure Northing
10. Type
11. Confidence1
12. Remains
13. Description
• Usually descriptions taken from authorative sources
14. Comments
• personal comments by Philip Davis
15. Web sites
16. Texts
17. Journals
18. Guidebooks
19. Unpublished reports and other sources
20. NPRN (RCAHMW database number)
21. SMRN (Local Archaeological Trust database monument number)
22. SAM (Status as Scheduled Ancient Monument)
23. SAM Number (The official record number)
24. SAMlink (a number generated by CADW for its online SAM record)
25. LBN (listed building number)
26. LBN2 (secondary listed building number(s))
27. LBNx (used for weblink purpose only)
28. Listing (Status as Listed Building)
29. UIN (Unique identification number for this database)
30. All names
    • a combination of the fields Name, Alternative Name and Community - useful for searching
31. Primary (a primary historical source)
32. Antiquarian (references in antiquarian sources such as Leland)
33. LTC (The date of the grant of a licence to crenellate)
34. LTC Confidence (Confidence regarding a citation to a licence to crenellate)
35. LTC Type (Type of licence to crenellate)
36. LTC Link (respective field reference to LTC database - serial2 field)
37. sixfig OS is the Landranger grid reference given to just six figures (used for mash up to air photo)
38. NMRN2 (Secondary RCAHMW database numbers)
39. SMRN2 (secondary HER numbers)
40. SMRNWeblink
    • link to either online monument record - usually the Archwillio site - or the webpage of the appropriate archaeological trust
41. Latitude to five decimal places
    • Decimal not minutes and seconds
42. Longitude ditto
43. Palace type (either royal, bishop or other)
44. TimbCas Type (The type of timber castle either motte, ringwork or other/unknown)
45. Type2 (secondary type classification)
46. Type3 (tertiary type classification)
47. Confidence2 (confidence of Type2)
48. Confidence3 (ditto)
49. CastleFacts
    • Web link to CastleFacts photopage (kindly created by Andrew Herrett)
50. BestC (the highest rated confidence statement used for web formating)
51. Con (Warning used for web formatting only - not a statement of confidence)
52. VF (used for web formatting)

Fields - England

1. Name
2. Alternative Names
3. Modern Authority
4. Historic County
• The county location as used by David Cathcart King in Castellarium Anglicanum partly reflecting the counties as they were just prior to the changes of 1974 although this 'historic county' system is fairly widely used by historians is should be noted it is not a representation of actual political boundaries at any time.
5. 1974 Authority
6. Medieval County
• The county location as in the medieval period. As the sites recorded in this database cover a period of some 600 years and boundaries did change this is a rough guide only.
7. Civil Parish
8. Map Ref
   • Landranger grid reference
9. Easting
10. Northing
11. Type
12. Confidence1
13. Remains
14. Description
• Usually an authorative description taken from one or more offical sources (such as a scheduling report or a county HER report)
15. Comments
• personal comments by Philip Davis
16. Web sites
17. Texts
18. NMRN (PastScape Defra ELS Reference number
19. SMRN (Local Historic Environment or Sites and Monuments Record reference number)
20. SAM (Status as Scheduled Ancient Monument)
21. Listing (Status as Listed Building)
22. IOEN (Images of England Website number)
23. UIN (Unique identification number for this database)
24. Journals
25. Unpublished reports and other sources
26. Guidebooks
27. Primary (a primary historical source)
28. Antiquarian (references in antiquarian soucres such as Leland)
29. All names
    • a combination of the fields Name, Alternative Name and Civil parish - useful for searching
30. LTC (The date of the grant of a licence to crenellate)
31. LTC Confidence (Confidence regarding a citation to a licence to crenellate)
32. LTC Type (Type of licence to crenellate)
33. LTC Link (respective field reference to LTC database - serial2 field)
• These four LTC field are repeated 3 more times to cover sites with multiple licences.
34. sixfig OS is the Landranger grid reference given to just six figures (used for mash up to air photo)
35. NMRN2 (secondary PastScape Defra ELS database numbers)
36. SMRNWeblink
    • link to either online monument record - from various county databases or Heritage Gateway - or the webpage of the appropriate archaeological trust
37. IOEN2 (secondary Images of England Website number(s))
38. SMRN2 (secondary HER numbers)
39. Palace type (either royal, bishop or other)
40. TimbCas Type (The type of timber castle either motte, ringwork or other/unknown)
41. Latitude to five decimal places
    • Decimal not minutes and seconds
42. Longitude ditto
43. Type2 (secondary type classification)
44. Type3 ditto
45. Type4 ditto
46. Confidence2 (confidence of Type2)
47. Confidence3 ditto
48. Confidence4 ditto
49. BestC (the highest rated confidence statement used for web formating)
50. NHLSMN (The National Heritage List for England Number for scheduled monuments)
51. NHLLBN (The National Heritage List for England Number for listed buildings)
52. NHLLBN2 (secondary NHLLBN numbers)
53. NHLLBN3 (tertiary NHLLBN numbers)
54. Con (Warning used for web formatting only - not a statement of confidence)
55. VF (used for web formating)
56. CastleFacts
    • Web link to CastleFacts photopage (kindly created by Andrew Herrett)

Fields - The Islands

1. Name
2. Alternative Names
3. Civil Parish
4. Map Ref
   • Landranger grid reference (Not available for Channel Islands)
5. Northing
6. Easting
7. Type
8. Confidence
9. Remains
10. Description
• Usually descriptions taken from authorative sources
11. Comments
• personal comments by Philip Davis
12. Web sites
13. Texts
14. NMRN
15. SMRN
16. SAM (Status as Scheduled Ancient Monument)
17. Listing (Status as Listed Building)
• Heritage protection laws in the Islands are similar to but not identical with those in the UK
18. UIN (Unique identification number for this database)
19. Journals
20. Unpublished reports and other sources
21. Guidebooks
22. Isle of
23. Primary (a primary historical source)
24. Antiquarian (references in antiquarian soucres such as Leland)
25. LTC (The date of the grant of a licence to crenellate)
26. LTC Confidence (Confidence regarding a citation to a licence to crenellate)
27. LTC Type (Type of licence to crenellate)
28. LTC Link (respective field reference to LTC database - serial2 field)
29. SMRNWeblink
    • link to either online monument record - from various county databases or Heritage Gateway- or the webpage of the appropriate archaeological trust
30. Latitude to five decimal places (Decimal rather than minutes and seconds)
31. Longitude ditto
32. CastleFacts
    • Web link to CastleFacts photopage (kindly created by Andrew Herrett
33. Type2 secondary type classification
34. Type3 tertiary type classification
35. Confidence2 (confidence of Type2)
36. Confidence3 ditto
37. sixfig OS is the Landranger grid reference given to just six figures (used for mash up to air photo)

Fields - Licences to Crenellate

1. Name of Applicant (as on the roll)
2. Alternative names of Applicant (modernised spellings etc)
3. Name of Place (as on the roll)
4. Modern Name of Place
5. County, if mentioned in licence
6. Date of licence
7. Granted by (name of king, or other grantee)
8. Type (Royal, Royal Pardon, Confirmation/inspeximus, Durham, Durham Pardon, Chester, Lancashire)
9. Wording
   • the wording on the charter or roll or the translation in the calendar of rolls etc.
10. Original Source (Roll reference)
11. Later Source (Text source)
12. Comments
13. Site Link (UIN of place in fortification database)
14. Regnal Year
15. PRO
    • Yes/No - I've checked the Public Record Office calendar of primary sources
16. serial2
    • a unique identifying number for each record - based on date to allow accurate date sorting
17. Grant by (The authority by which the great seal was added i.e. privy seal)
18. Granted at (The place of the Grant i.e. Westminster)
19. Rank of App (The social rank of the applicant i.e. knight)
20. confidence (confidence that the supposed document is a meaningful licence to crenellate - Certain, Revoked, Possible, Reject)
21. Site Type (Broad classification of the type of building - Private, Town house, Conventual, Urban, Other)
22. notes
    • usually blank
23. Reason
    • a menu of possible reasons for grants
24. Biographical comments
    • biography of applicant
25. Biographical sources
    • sources for biography
26. Biographical header
    • slightly extended version of applicant name often with dates of birth/death
27. plural
    • a field just used for text formatting in the template for the online version