Information for record number MWA5380:
Medieval Defences for Dam at Kenilworth Castle

Summary An earthwork bank, topped by circular mounds, and ditches, which were created during the Medieval period. They were created as defences against an attack on the Medieval dam associated with Kenilworth Mere. They are located 500m south west of Kenilworth Castle.
What Is It?  
Type: Defence, Mound, Ditch, Bank (Earthwork)
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Kenilworth
District: Warwick, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 28 72
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Scheduled Monument (Grade: 04/01/1996)
Sites & Monuments Record
Description

  
Source Number  

1 The great dam (MWA5379) and its sluice were considered to be so important to the defence of the castle, that further earthworks were constructed beyond them in order to ensure their safety in time of attack (which are dealt with here). A small tongue of land lying between the south side of the lake and a small watercourse was scarped into a crescent and defended by an artificial bank some 6.1m high and 6.1m broad. On top of this earthwork circular mounds, the largest 12.2m in diameter, were erected at intervals. It is possible that mangonels were erected on these mounds for defensive purposes. In front of the bank is a ditch 12.2m deep and 30m wide, which was filled with water. Near the centre are the remains of two circular stone bastions which guarded the main entrance to the castle.
2 These earthworks were probably constructed in the mid-13th century by Simon de Montfort.
3 Scheduled as Warwickshire Monument No 1.
4 Scheduling information.
5 Re-Scheduled in 1996 as Monument No 21576. External ditch was originally full of water drawn form the mere, controlled by a sluice. A second ditch is visible running east below the earthen dam at the south angle - thought to be the outlet channel for the water defences of the Brays. A 30m length of it has been Scheduled, the rest having been truncated by the building on castle Street. South and south-west of the Brays is a further ditch running parallel to the external ditch before running east alongside the outlet channel. It was part of the castle's water management system controlling water levels within the mere. The stone bastions were probably the façade of an elaborate entranceway built by Robert Dudley for one of Elizabeth's three visits.
 
Sources
Source No: 2
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 6, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Salzman L F (ed)
Date: 1951
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: VI
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: Victoria County History, vol 1, Warwickshire
Author/originator: Doubleday H A & Page W (eds)
Date: 1904
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 1
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list
Author/originator: DoE
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM list
Author/originator: DoE
Date: 1985
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Scheduling record
Title: SAM County List
Author/originator: English Heritage
Date: 1996
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 21576
   
Images:  
There are no images associated with this record.  
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Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
none Scheduled Monument Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are those archaeological sites which are legally recognised as being of national importance. They can range in date from prehistoric times to the Cold War period. They can take many different forms, including disused buildings or sites surviving as earthworks or cropmarks.

SAMs are protected by law from unlicensed disturbance and metal detecting. Written consent from the Secretary of State must be obtained before any sort of work can begin, including archaeological work such as geophysical survey or archaeological excavation. There are nearly 200 SAMs in Warwickshire.
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source SAM List Scheduled Ancient Monument List. A list or schedule of archaelogical and historic monuments that are considered to be of national importance. The list contains a detailed description of each Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and a map showing their location and extent. By being placed on the schedule, SAMs are protected by law from any unauthorised distrubance. The list has been compiled and is maintained by English Heritage. It is updated periodically. back
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
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period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
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monument WATERCOURSE * A channel used for or formed by the conveyance of water. Can be natural, eg. a river or artificial eg. an aqueduct. Use more specific type where known. back
monument BUILDING * A structure with a roof to provide shelter from the weather for occupants or contents. Use specific type where known. back
monument LAKE * A large body of water surrounded by land. back
monument STONE * Use only where stone is natural or where there is no indication of function. back
monument CASTLE * A fortress and dwelling, usually medieval in origin, and often consisting of a keep, curtain wall and towers etc. back
monument DEFENCE * This is the top term for the class. See DEFENCE Class List for narrow terms. back
monument BASTION * A flanking tower, or projection from the main walls of a defensive work from which a garrison can defend the ground in front or on the flank. back
monument DITCH * A long and narrow hollow or trench dug in the ground, often used to carry water though it may be dry for much of the year. back
monument SLUICE * A dam which can be raised or lowered to regulate the flow of water. back
monument CRESCENT * A row of houses whose facade in plan follows the concave arc of a circle or ellipse, eg. The Royal Crescent, Bath. back
monument MOUND * A natural or artificial elevation of earth or stones, such as the earth heaped upon a grave. Use more specific type where known. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back
monument DAM * A barrier of concrete or earth, etc, built across a river to create a reservoir of water for domestic and/or industrial usage. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record