Search results for ""author brian dix""

As part of the Property Development Programme for Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, English Heritage created an ambitious reconstruction of the Elizabethan garden which formerly stood on the north side of the castle keep. In order to achieve a reliable representation of the original garden, a programme of archaeological trenching, open area excavation and watching brief was carried out by Northamptonshire Archaeology (now MOLA) from 2004 to 2008. This report discusses the results of the excavations which uncovered for the first time the foundation and culverts of an octagonal fountain basin, described by Robert Langham in a contemporary letter relating to Queen Elizabeth I’s visit in 1575. The results of the excavation also clarified to some extent the original dimensions of the garden and the foundation level upon which the fine surfacing detail would have been applied. Contributions to understanding the geometry of the garden’s architectural features are made by the identification of a series of rubble-and-mortar-filled pits, which probably formed bases for plinths for structures or other structural elements. The terrace which formed a viewing promenade over the garden was shown to have undergone substantial alteration. The impact of Civil War defences and slighting on the north of the keep and outer bailey wall were investigated. Following this, the area was subsequently cultivated as a kitchen garden and orchard from at least the beginning of the eighteenth century. Twentieth-century activity included consolidation of the castle fabric, the construction of paths and the remodelling of the terrace, and the remains of an ornamental knotwork garden created in 1975. The archaeology of the garden and its surroundings are discussed from the remnants of medieval features through to the present day.

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The Marlborough Mound has recently been recognised as one of the most important monuments in the group around Stonehenge. It was also a medieval castle and a feature in a major 17th century garden. This is the first comprehensive history of this extraordinary site. Marlborough Mound, standing among the buildings of Marlborough College, has attracted little attention until recently. Records showed it to be the motte of a Norman castle, of which there were no visible remains. The local historians and archaeologists who had investigated it had found very little in the way of archaeological evidence beyond a few prehistoric antler picks, the odd Roman coin, and a scatter of medieval pottery. It was to be archaeology which provided the most dramatic discovery after the Mound Trust began to restore the mound in 2003. English Heritage were investigating Silbury Hill, and arranged to take cores from the Mound for dating purposes. The results were remarkable, as they showed that the Mound was almost a twin of Silbury Hill and therefore belonged to the extraordinary assembly of prehistoric monuments centred on Stonehenge. For the medieval period, this book brings together for the first time all that we know about the castle from the royal records and from chronicles. These show that it was for a time one of the major royal castles in the land. Most of the English kings from William I to Edward III spent time here. For Henry III and his queen Eleanor of Provence, it was their favourite castle after Windsor. It marks the end of the first stage of the work of the Mound Trust, which, following the restoration, turns to its second objective of promoting public knowledge of the Mound based on scholarly research. As to its final form as a garden mound next to the house of the dukes of Somerset, in the eighteenth century, this emerges from letters and even poems, and from the recent restoration. Much of this has been slow and painstaking work, however, involving the removal of the trees which endangered the structure of the Mound, the recutting of the spiral path and the careful replanting of the whole area with suitable vegetation. By doing this, the shape of the Mound as a garden feature has re-emerged, and can now be seen clearly. This book marks the end of the first stage of the work of the Mound Trust, which, following the restoration, turns to its second objective of promoting public knowledge of the Mound based on scholarly research.

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