KINGSBURY CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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Earthwork remains of an Anglo-Saxon burh; excavation uncovered post-Roman features, Roman and Medieval finds.

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Kingsbury Castle is the site of a fortified village, the origins of which go back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is situated on a natural hill and covers an area of about 27 1/2 acres. It was surrounded by a steep scarp or rampart, varying considerably in height, formed by levelling the top of the hill and throwing the soil outwards. Before reaching the southern boundary, the rampart curves outward to the east, to form a projecting bulwark. The main area was levelled in the 10th century and the bulwark about 1152. There is no trace of a ditch and it is not certain if the settlement had a stone wall. The original entrance appears to have been on the south east at the point where Dagnell Street now enters the area. (Sited from plan (1) at TL 141074). (1-3)

`Kingsbury' is one of the few `bury' names in the county which go back to Old English times. The place anciently belonged to the Saxon kings and was bought by Alfric, afterwards abbot of St. Albans, from King Ethelred. (4)

Excavations were carried out in 1976 at 19 Hill Street (TL14250742) and found evidence of occupation and structures of probable post-Roman date. Several types of features were identified, namely postholes and stakeholes, timber slots, gullies, pits, shallow depressions and a hearth, and several phases of occupation were noted. The only finds associated with these features were of Roman date and were all in a very worn or residual condition, and consisted almost entirely of potsherds and fragments of tile and brick. A few Medieval sherds were also found. The paucity of finds suggests a post-Roman date for the structures. (5)

An adulterine castle was built on the site and destroyed in 1152. (6)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) edited by William Page, F.S.A. 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Hertfordshire, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)123-4

( 2) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1910 An inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire

Page(s)192

( 3) General reference

Transactions of the St Albans Archaeological Society 2 Pt 2 1905-6 pp148-157 plan illust (W Page)

( 4) by J E B Gover, Allen Mawer and F M Stenton 1938 The place-names of Hertfordshire

English Place-Name Society : the survey of English place-names [county volumes]1 (1925) - vol.15 Page(s)89-90

( 5) St. Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society and East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Hertfordshire archaeology

C Saunders & A B Havercroft 6, 1978 Page(s)1-15

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