Laxton Castle

The Castle Earthworks
Laxton's large motte and bailey castle is the finest in Nottinghamshire and an impressive monument to the long and complex history of the village.  The surviving remains of the castle are preserved entirely as earthworks.  However, fragments of masonry poking from the ground in places hint at its earlier form.  The earthwork remains include evidence for the evolving form of the medieval castle and its post-medieval successor, the manor house, with its associated park and gardens.  The text below briefly describes the physical remains of the monument and offers some preliminary interpretation. 

INNER BAILEY
The massive defences of the inner bailey together with the contemporary motte on its north side form the original core of Laxton castle.   The inner bailey defences have clearly been considerably modified, both to accommodate the later outer bailey, and as part of the landscaping associated with the Post Medieval manorial complex. 

The southern defensive circuit comprises a massive ditch with an equally substantial bank on its northern side (A).  A less substantial counterscarp bank follows the southern lip of the ditch.  At its eastern end the ditch is no more than a wide, shallow hollow suggesting either that it has been largely infilled (perhaps by material from the counterscarp bank, which is absent over this area) or that it was never finished.

There is clear evidence, in the form of exposed masonry within the bank of the southern defences, for a stone curtain wall around the inner bailey.  A substantial in-situ ashlar block at the south-western angle of the defences could be a quoin, perhaps part of the base of a corner tower.

The western defences are of a similar character to those of the southern circuit (B).  However, both bank and ditch terminate at a point some 30m south of the motte.  Such a substantial break in the defences is unlikely to have been a feature of the original layout of the inner bailey, and it is likely that at this point the defences have been modified, by levelling the bank and ditch, to provide access to the small circular terraced platform (C) that lies immediately to the west.  This platform, comprising a roughly circular level terrace c.25m in diameter with a slight bank marking its lip and an insubstantial external gulley around part of its perimeter, is not at all defensive in character and is of the Post-Medieval modifications to the motte and bailey, perhaps serving as a viewing platform or belvedere or possibly as a bowling green.

The eastern defences show signs of considerable modification (E).  The bank and ditch are less substantial than those of the western and southern circuits are, and there is a substantial level platform between the bank and the external ditch.  The platform may be a later creation brought about by partial displacement of bank material into the adjacent ditch and the wide, level area created may have accommodated a structure of some form.  At the north-eastern angle of the defences an further bank, lying beyond the outer bailey ditch (F), rises to a steep-sided mound, with slight external ditch, where the defences meet the motte.  This earthwork, together with the building-platform above described may indicate the presence of an extra-mural defensive structure such as a barbican.

In the interior of the inner bailey a number of substantial hollows (G) reflect the position of the three-gabled Post-Medieval manor house mapped by Pierce, they may perhaps indicate the location of former cellars, or be later robber pits.  The southern part of the inner bailey is occupied with a low rectangular platform (H) and some masonry is apparent within parts of this platform.  The limits of the platform match closely a wall line shown on Mark Pierce's plan of 1635.  It is possible that the platform may indicate a large intra-mural Medieval structure, perhaps a lean-to hall built against the inner face of the stone curtain wall of the inner bailey.

Interpretative plan of the castle earthworks.

Air Photograph of Laxton Castle (c) Chris Cole.  Enquiries@innervisionsgallery.fsnet.co.uk. Used with Permission.

MOTTE
The substantial earthen motte is c.75m in diameter at the base and 50m at the summit.  A curious, truncated conical mound on the summit of the motte (I) has provoked considerable discussion in the past, but is almost certainly a post-medieval alteration created as part of the landscaping of the castle earthworks which appears to have taken place to create gardens around the 16th century manor house.  A structure, or perhaps a tree, is shown surmounting this mound on Pierce's 1635 map, suggesting a contemporary ornamental function. A quarry hollow of similar dimensions to the mound exists in the western ditch of the inner bailey (J), and may have provided the source for the material forming the mound.  The summit of the motte bears evidence of a former palisade or wall around its circumference.  A shallow gulley and accompanying inner bank skirt the summit of the motte (K) and are clearly evident on a number of the aerial views.  This gulley may mark the line of a timber palisade slot, or (less likely) the robbed foundation trenches of a masonry shell keep.The motte is surrounded by a narrow v-section ditch for most of its circumference (L), the ditch changes character, becoming wider and shallower, around the south-western quadrant of the motte. The motte has been carefully constructed, taking advantage of the natural topography of the hillside upon which it lies, to heighten the impression of the size of the defences.  A terrace-way, echoing the circuit of the motte's external ditch (M), serves to enhance the impression of height between the terrace and the outer lip of the ditch, while the Northwestern quadrant of the ditch has a slight counterscarp bank (N), terminating at the top of the substantial hollow-way descending the slope northwest of the motte.

OUTER BAILEY
The defences of the outer bailey consist of a substantial bank with external ditch forming a roughly square enclosure c.170m on each side.  At its north-eastern corner the circuit of the outer bailey extends to the north-west to meet the defences of the inner bailey at the entrance to the latter.  The outer bailey defences appear to post-date those of the inner bailey, but are carefully integrated with them to form a coherent defensive structure. At its north-east corner the bank and ditch of the outer bailey are separated from those of the inner bailey by a narrow causeway.  The form of the outer bailey defences has undoubtedly been modified in a number of places, both by the slighting of the bank, and by the creation of small breaches in the bank, usually with corresponding causeways in the ditch.  Nevertheless, the original uniform, defensive layout may be clearly traced.

The western circuit of the defences (O) lacks a bank towards its southern end.  There seems no reason to suppose that this is an original feature, as the western circuit has ditch along its full length, and it appears most likely that the bank has been removed at a later date, perhaps during the 16th century modifications to the defences. At its south-eastern corner the defensive circuit is marginally higher (P), perhaps indicating a small corner tower. 

The southern circuit of the defences (Q) is clearly much altered.  At its western end a narrow bank and shallow ditch preserve what may approximate the original form of the defences.  East of here the bank is wide and low, and the external ditch missing.  It seems most likely that here the bank has been slighted and used to fill the external ditch.  It is notable that, were it not levelled, a defensive circuit at this point would at least partially block a clear view south to the Church from the site of the 16th century manor house, and it may be that the defences were altered in the 16th century to ensure such a view.  A 10m wide break in both the bank and ditch marks the southern entrance to the outer bailey (R) at a point where the circuit meets Hall Lane.  There seems no reason to suppose that this is other than the original entrance to the outer bailey. 

The eastern defensive circuit (S) extends northwards from the southern circuit to the south-eastern corner of the inner bailey, the bank and ditch meeting the defences of the inner bailey at the northern edge of its entrance.  The complex arrangement of earthworks at this point may result from a number of periods of activity, but the original intention appears to be that the outer bailey defences would meet those of the inner bailey on the northern side of the gatehouse to the inner bailey.  The eastern circuit is broken at three points by narrow gaps, none of which appear original and which probably served to facilitate easy access into the part of the interior of the outer bailey which lies to the east of the Post-Medieval field boundary crossing the bailey from north to south.

The interior of the outer bailey contains a number of earthworks most of which appear to relate to the Post-Medieval activity mapped by Mark Pierce.  A slight north-south break of slope (T) marks the wall or fence line shown on Mark Pierce's map.  East of here several substantial mounds and hollows (U) might be associated with contemporary activity, but are perhaps most likely to be robber-pits dug to recover stone from Medieval buildings in the outer bailey. The south-western part of the outer bailey is crossed by shallow, parallel, east - west aligned ridges (V), probably the result of past cultivation and which correspond approximately with an area shown blank on Pierce's plan.  No clear trace survives of the buildings shown in this area on Pierce's plan, although north of here, in the area shown as an orchard (or perhaps more likely in view of the small size of the vegetation, a vineyard) in 1635, a number of small hollows correspond approximately with a building mapped by Pierce.

East of the outer bailey there is evidence for a former additional enclosure or bailey which has previously gone without remark.  The line of the southern circuit of the outer bailey defences extends for c.100m eastward from the south-east corner of the bailey (W), ending at a north-south field boundary, itself dating from at least 1635. The earthwork, consisting of a low bank with ditch on its south side, is breached in a number of places, and appears to turn slightly northwards at its eastern end.

A further insubstantial bank, with a ditch on its northern side, extends c.35m eastward from close to the junction of the outer and inner bailies (X).  This ditch is cut into the partially infilled outer bailey ditch, which it therefore post-dates by a considerable period, and continues as a slight gulley with no discernible bank for a further c.100m eastward until it meets a modern field boundary.  Together, this ditch and its southern counterpart define two sides of an enclosure, potentially of similar dimensions to the inner bailey to the west, though much less substantially defended.  The eastern limit of this putative enclosure is uncertain, it might coincide with the north-south field boundary which marks the maximum extent of the southern earthwork, alternatively it may have extended further east, to be lost entirely to recent agriculture (the fields east of here being regularly ploughed arable).  The date and function of this enclosure are uncertain. It certainly post-dates the outer bailey, and as the earthworks which define its extent are hardly defensive in character, it might more readily be assigned to the Post-Medieval manorial complex, than the Medieval castle. In 1635 the field containing the enclosure was named as Hither Conygrey Meadow - the reference to rabbits implied by the name may be significant as an irregular earthwork in the north-eastern quadrant of the enclosure might conceivably be the remains of a deliberately constructed warren.

EARTHWORKS NORTH WEST OF THE MOTTE
A number of terrace-ways descend the steep slope to the north of the castle (Y), and provide access to the springs rising in the valley below the castle, and to the earthworks in the field beyond the castle. There are a number of irregular hollows (Z) at various points on the lower sloped of the hill, perhaps former quarries, or the remains of past attempts to tap springs. North and west of here, a variety of earthworks lie in fields named in 1635 as Great and Little Pond Meadow, clearly they are largely to be associated with fishponds. The three parallel linear troughs, defined by marked banks, lay at the north-eastern end of this group (AA).  The troughs are waterlogged (and water-filled in wet weather) and fed by the adjacent springs. Such troughs are typical of the shallow, often spring-fed, tanks (or stews) constructed for fish breeding. A deep, rectangular pond (AB) lies immediately to the south-west of the stews, and a shallow, irregular gulley links this pond to a shallower pond to the west (see below). An approximately L-shaped double bank (AC) surrounds these earthworks on their north and west sides.  Two parallel banks (AD) define a broad, shallow pond at right angles to these banks, a raised wall or dam would have been required to secure the north-eastern side of this pond, but no trace of such a structure survives.  A C-shaped earthwork (AE) lies on the north-east side of the shallow pond, its function is unclear. 

The north-eastern boundary of this field is marked by a substantial flat-topped earthwork bank cut into by the rectangular pond (AF).  The bank may have served as a dam perhaps to hold backwater to periodically flood the area enclosed to form a managed water meadow.  The level surface of the field to the west of the bank supports this theory, suggesting that it is formed from an accumulation of water-lain silts deposited during periodic flooding. Alternatively the bank may have held back water to form a broad shallow pond to supply a mill located on their eastern side.  Though no positive evidence for a water powered mill has yet been uncovered at Laxton it is highly likely that such a mill would have existed to serve the needs of the village prior to the introduction of the well-documented windmills sometime in the 12th century.  The valley of Radbeck, close to the castle represents a ideal location for such a mill.

Whatever their original function it appears likely that the bank predate the construction of the fishponds.  The large rectangular pond is a later addition, breaching the bank at its mid point, and the bank appear to have been reduced in size immediately to the north and south of the pond, perhaps at the same time that the fish ponds to the west were constructed.