MIDDLEHAM CASTLE

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Earthwork remains of a medieval manor house, probably the residence of the Bishops of Durham between the 12th-14th centuries. Defensive site, located on a promontory, and surviving as a series of earthworks and masonry fragments. The earthworks consist of banks, ditches, an extractive pit, enclosures, a circular enclosure, pits and boundary banks.

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NZ 3274 3104 Middleham Castle (NR) (Remains of) (NAT) (1)

"The site of the castle of Middleham is on a bold promontory, approximately in the shape of an isosceles triangle, projecting southwards from the high ridge on which the church [NZ 33 NW 21] is built. The apex of the triangle is to the north, and the sides of the promontory slope steeply to the level ground on the east, south and west, and show little traces of scarping except perhaps on the south, where, at the foot of the slope, a ditch runs east and west. The lines of the walls of a large building show in the turf at the south end of the site, and here and there the masonry is exposed. The position is a very strong one, the only easy approach being from the north, at the apex of the triangle". A `Class G' earthwork. (2)

The Castle of Middleham, a strong, well guarded manor house, was a principal residence of the Bishops of Durham from the Conquest till the end of the 14th century. At the time of Hatfield's Survey (1349-50) the demesne was on lease. No description of the castle is given in Hatfield's or any other survey. The last remaining part, a low oblong arched room, was removed several years before 1823. Except for this, it is not known when was the period of final destruction or regular dismantling. An old barn, across the road to the north may have formed part of the castle offices. (3)

The manor house at Bishop Middleham was probably used as the bishop's residence from the 12th-14th century. Bishop Pudsey may have had a house thereabout 1183 (a). Bishop Philip De Poitou (1197-1208) certainly stayed at Middleham (b). Bishop Louis Beaumont [d 1333] built a kitchen and began a new hall and chapel (c). The Manor house or site of the manor was sold in 1649 (d). The house was probably then in ruins. There was a fishpond, mentioned in 1313 (e) which was probably on the marshy ground immediately below the house to the south. (4)

Additional references - Notes only. (5)

[Centred NZ 3274 3104] The remains of Middleham Castle consist of a series of banks and ditches forming small enclosures while here and there small fragments of masonry protrude through the turf. The maximum height of banks is 0.8 m. The remains have been mutilated by the construction of two silage pits. One of these pits utilises an original wall which has a maximum height of 1.2 m. The remaining retaining walls of the pits have been built of loose masonry, probably from the site. The whole areas is under pasture. The earthworks have been incorrectly shown or omitted on OS 25" (6a). None of the farm buildings to the N of the site show any trace of antiquity. To the S of the high ground on which the castle stood are faint traces of a ditch, but whether its purpose was defensive could not be ascertained. (6)

Surveyed on A M. (7)

The site at Middleham Castle is generally as described by Geary, though it is now heavily overgrown and the outline can only be distinguished with difficulty. For the sites of fishponds and the
course of a possible enclosure wall, see illustration card.
Published survey (1:2500) revised. (8)

Existing survey revised by RCHME during a project on scheduled monuments in County Durham.
As described by Authority 6. The earthworks and fragments of masonry indicate the presence of a number of buildings or chambers: those towards the south of the site consist largely of robber trenches and the debris therefrom. None of the earthworks stand much over 0.3 m high and most are very slight and indistinct. There are surrounding earthworks on the lower ground to the west, south and east, mainly quarries, tracks, ridge-and-furrow and boundary banks. The tracks show some chronological depth, with some elements cutting and overlying other elements, but all seem to be connected with the extensive quarrying which occurs most of the way round the hillside. The fishpond mentioned by Authority 4 may be the extant pond 150 m west of the manor house site though this area too has been disturbed by quarrying. (9)

Listed by Cathcart King. (10)

The site described by authorities 1-10 has been mapped for the Durham Magnesian Limestone Durham NMP project. The earthworks consist of banks, ditches, an extractive pit, enclosures, a circular enclosure, pits and boundary banks, the site is centred at NZ 3272 3101.
(11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" map 1923

( 2) edited by William Page 1905 The Victoria history of the county of Durham, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)357

( 3) General reference

Surtees R 1823 History of Durham Vol 3 pp1-4

( 4) edited by William Page 1928 The Victoria history of the county of Durham, volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England M Curtis Page(s)204

( 4a) General reference

Boldon Book (Surtees Soc) 12 51

( 4b) General reference

Feod Prior Dunelm 250 301

( 4c) General reference

Hist Dunelm Script Tres (Surtees Soc) (119)

( 4d) General reference

Close 1649 Pt 12 No 15

( 4e) General reference

Reg Palat Dunelm (Rolls Ser) i 480

( 5) Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne

10, 1901 Page(s)89-90

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 EG/29-JUL-1954/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 6a) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" map 1939

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F2 FDColquhoun/20-JUN-1959/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F3 ISSainsbury/18-JUN-1980/OS Archaeology Division Field Investigator

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

Mark Bowden/15-AUG-1991/RCHME: Durham SAMs Project

(10) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

Page(s)134

(11) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF 106G/UK/1038 5080 27-NOV-1945

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