MERE CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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Earthwork remains of an enclosure castle. The licence to build was granted to Richard, Earl of Cornwall in 1253. The castle consisted of six towers, a hall, inner and outer gates, a deep well and a chapel and was repaired in 1300. It was finally demolished 1780-90. Partial excavations in 1887 revealed a rectangular building with four turrets. No foundations are now visible on the site. Scheduled.

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(ST 80953254) Castle (GT) (site of) (ST 80873255;) Bull Ring (TI). (1)

License to build a castle at Mere was granted to Richard, Earl of Cornwall, in 1253. The castle included six towers, a hall, inner and outer gates, a deep well and a Chapel. It was repaired in 1300 and probably thereafter fell into decay. It is said to have disappeared 'long before 1660' but Lovibond states that it was not finally demolished until 1780-90. There is a c1700 reference to walls and arches being visible in digging on the hill and in 1887 partial excavations were made by T H Baker and the Rev E G Wyld. The building revealed was rectangular, c 390 by 102 feet with two circular towers on each side and a rectangular tower at each end.

APS show the castle site to be separated from the spur by a large ditch at the west end. The ditch is known as the Bull Ring and was a recognised playground for local youth and had been used for bull-baiting. MOW records refer to stone foundations being visible on top of the motte in 1955 when a war memorial and flag-pole were erected. The hill below the mound is terraced. Finds in gardens at the foot of the hill include a 15th-16thc stoneware figure, in Salisbury Museum (5) and a 15thc alabaster panel, in Mere church (6) which have been associated with the castle. (2-8)

Castle Hill is a natural ridge which has been levelled at its top to form a building platform and steeper slopes. It is isolated from
the rest of Long Hill by a 4.9 metre deep ditch, now known as the Bull Ring. A second ditch 1.5 metres deep is located on the east slope.

Access to the castle appears to have been gained by a 2.0 metre wide causeway on the SW side of the hill. The top of the hill has been quarried and no foundations are visible. Surveyed at 1:2500. (9,10)

Scheduled listing. (11)

Listed by Cathcart King. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

(T H Baker) 29, 1896 Page(s)229

( 3a) General reference

MS Notes on Castle Hill 1937 (F E Lovibond)

( 3) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

48, 1937-8 Page(s)432

( 4) General reference

Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries 6, 1899 Page(s)128

( 5) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

(F Stevens) 49, 1940-2 Page(s)157-9

( 6) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

(illn of tablet) 47, 1935-7 Page(s)540-1

( 7) Aerial photograph

CPE/UK1821/5342-3, 04-NOV-1946

( 8) Externally held archive reference

MOW RF 217

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F1 MJF 17-JUN-70

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

07-JUL-1999

(12) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

2 Page(s)499-500

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