Castles and Landscapes; Power, Community and Fortification in Medieval England; O.H. Creighton

O.H. Creighton [+–]

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

Castles were among the most dominant features of the medieval landscape and many remain impressive structures to the present day. This paperback edition of a book first published in hardback in 2002 is a fascinating and provocative study which looks at castles in a new light, using the theories and methods of landscape studies. For the first time castles are examined not as an isolated phenomenon, but in relation to their surrounding human as well as physical landscapes. Taking a thematic approach, the study examines a broad range of evidence – archaeological, documentary and topographical – to put castles back into the medieval landscape and assess their contribution to its evolution. Far more than simply a book about castles, this is a study of the impact of power and authority on the landscape

Series: Studies in the Archaeology of Medieval Europe

Prelims

Foreword [+–] vii

John Schofield

Museum of London (retired)

John Schofield is now retired from the Museum of London, and is an archaeologist writing various books and reports. He is archaeologist for St Paul’s Cathedral, London, and has produced a large report ‘St Paul’s Cathedral before Wren’, published by English Heritage in 2011. Also in 2011 he published ‘London 1100-1600’ for Equinox Press, in the series Archaeology of Medieval Europe, of which he is series editor. This book was awarded the London Archaeological Prize for the best archaeological publication in London in the years 2011-12, on 16 November 2012.

Foreword by John Schofield, series editor.

List of Figures [+–] ix-xii

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

Acknowledgements [+–] xiii

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

Introduction [+–] 1-8

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

The introductory chapter defines the aim of the present study as a re-examination of medieval castles and their contribution to the medieval landscape. It is a study about the impact of medieval power upon the landscape of England, meant to serve the interests of students of the English landscape as well as of those of medieval archaeology.

Castles and Their Contexts [+–] 9-34

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

This chapter highlights some of the problems and possibilities for research into the landscape contexts of castles, and stresses the importance of a multifaceted and integrated approach. It also determines the contribution of combined fieldwork, excavation and documentary research to the understanding of two different medieval castles in contrasting landscape settings.

Castle Siting and Distribution [+–] 35-64

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

This chapter draws attention to the variety of functions a castle can have, as well as the broad range of topographical sites it can occupy. Moreover, the defensive strength and the strategic value are only a small part of the motivation to build a castle in a particular place. The site’s accessibility and viability as an estate, as well as the aesthetic qualities were considered of equal or greater importance.

The Castle as Icon: Landscapes of Status and Symbolism [+–] 65-88

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

This chapter points out that the ways contemporaries experienced the landscapes around them were influenced by the physical appearance of castles. Examples of landscapes created around castles date from the later medieval period, but landscapes with different connotations could be created by planning parks, settlements, roads around Norman castles. The iconic status of the castle was enhanced by the fact that sites of prior significance were occupied and rebuilt, symbolizing the continuity of power and lordship.

The Castle as Estate Centre: Tenurial Landscapes [+–] 89-109

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

The chapter analyses the relationship between castles and landholding, highlighting the fact that in the medieval society private fortifications were built and owned by a broad range of people. In certain contexts lordships were administered without castles, while most lords have raised fortified centres within their estates. The pattern of castle-building within lordships was influenced by the compactness of estates and their economic potential, being mostly related to earlier patterns of tenurial geography.

Power, Patronage and Parish: Castles and Ecclesiastical Lansdcapes [+–] 110-132

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

As religion permeated every aspect of medieval life, it is no surprise that castles had close connections with the ecclesiastical landscape. This chapter analyses the chronological, spatial and functional relationships that existed between castles and various ecclesiastical sites. With the change in religious sensibilities and fashions some linkages were weakened or broken, but a revival in the foundation of churches in association with some major castles could be noticed in the fourteenth century. The power of religious patronage was one way in which castle lords could make their mark on the landscape.

Castles and Urbanism [+–] 133-174

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

This chapter presents the relationship between castle and town, highlighting the fact that in medieval England, castle-building was predominantly rural. The castles built in urban settlements were mainly of royal origin, reinforcing a link between the monarchy and the towns. However, the construction of private fortified residences within medieval towns in other parts of Europe was well attested. Furthermore, while the period in which castle-towns were founded was relatively short, their impacts on townscapes could be far more enduring, in many cases up to the present.

Castles in the Countryside [+–] 175-222

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

This chapter seeks to integrate two conflicting ways of understanding the contribution of castles to the making of the rural landscape. On the one hand, castles were part of the rural landscape and components within local settlement patterns, and on the other hand, some of their characteristics elevated them above the rural scene. The status of rural castles as manorial centres is shown in their association with other characteristic features of rural lordship. Moreover, it is argued that castles in England have rarely brought rural settlements into existence, and castle lords were more involved in the re-orientation of village plans. Most eleventh and twelfth-century castles form a manorial focus within village plans, many being located to bring communities under tighter control. Other castles existed as dispersed settlements and many later castles were intended as isolated lordship sites, deliberately removed from the tenantry. All these patters and processes, however, are seen as part of a wider context of regional economies and landscapes.

Overview [+–] 223-228

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

This study has re-examined the medieval castle, using interdisciplinary approaches of landscape archaeology and landscape studies and having as principal aim the re-integration of castles into the contemporary surroundings. The study has further underlined that castles were instruments of administration and tools of lordship, emphasizing the complexity of castle siting and the variety of impacts the presence of castles could have on their surroundings. The impact of castles on the development and topography of other human settlements has been identified as particularly important. Moreover, the interrelationships between medieval castles and their settings have been examined from various perspectives.

End Matter

Glossary [+–] 229-231

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

Bibliography [+–] 233-260

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

Index [+–] 261-270

O.H. Creighton

University of Exeter

O.H. Creighton is Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Exeter. He is the author (with R.A. Higham) of Medieval Castles (Shire, 2003)

Reviews

.... a must-read, not just for castle buffs, but for anyone interested in the English medieval landscape Landscape History In what will become a standard text, Creighton has set down an important marker, and this volume not only relates in great detail our current state of knowledge, but also suggests important lines of research for the future. Medieval Archaeology XLIX

The book is masterly, with a massing of details which holds your attention. Current Archaeology

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Castles and Landscapes

Power, Community and Fortification in Medieval England

O.H. Creighton [+–]

University of Exeter

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