RUFUS CASTLE

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

BOW AND ARROW CASTLE

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DESCRIPTION

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The site of a castle, also known as Bow and Arrow Castle, captured in 1142 by Robert, Earl of Gloucester and rebuilt in the late 15th century. The remains of the 15th century octagonal tower with gun loops, walls and gateway survive. The approach bridge and entry archway are 19th century in date. The walls to the north and west stand to their full height, but part of the south east wall, which is thinner has broken away. Scheduled and listed.

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(SY 69757117) Rufus Castle (NR) (remains of) (NAT) (1)

Rufus Castle (697711), an irregular pentagonal tower with walls of roughly squared rubble and no roof, may be a rebuilding of the castle which was captured by Robert, Earl of Gloucester, in 1142. The present building is probably mainly of the late 15th century. The walls to the north and west stand to their full height and retain at the top a number of shaped corbels for a machicolated parapet, but part of the south-east wall, which is thinner, has broken away. To the south-west is a gateway with four-centred, arched head; to the north is a 19th century gateway with a round-arched head approached by a bridge of the same date. In the south-east wall is a chamfered stone jamb of a doorway which has been closed up. In the north and west walls, at first-floor level, are five embrasures, splayed internally under segmental rear arches, with circular gunports. Outside the south gateway are the remains of stone footings and there are said to have been further buildings to the east, where the cliff has fallen away. Plan. (2)

SY 697711. The pentagonal tower of Bow and Arrow Castle overlooking Church Ope Cove has late Medieval gunholes, but rests uncomfortably on an earlier foundation (to the north) and stepped plinth (to the west) which may have been a twelth century keep. (3,4)

Rufus Castle, formerly known as Bow and Arrow Castle, and 19th century bridge. Grade 1. (5)

No change. (6)

Listed by Cathcart King. (7)

The gunports consist simply of a hole bored through a single ashlar slab, and are typically 15th century. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10,000 1974

( 2) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1970 An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Volume two : south-east [in three parts]

1970 Page(s)252-3

( 3a) Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society

69 - 1947 Page(s)65-7

( 3) by Derek Renn 1973 Norman castles in Britain

1973 Page(s)113

( 4) Scheduled Monument Notification

DOE (IAM) Anc Mons Eng 3.12.79 82

( 5) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) Borough of Weymouth & Portland (Portland Ph) Dorset 21 SEpt 1978 6

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 JGB 30-JUL-80

( 7) 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

1 Page(s)125

(8) Fortress Study Group Fort : the international journal of fortification and military architecture

8, 1980 Page(s)5

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