The Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre held its 4th annual Open Day and the theme this year was the Medieval Period. Along with Broad sword demonstrations, helmet making and documents from the Archives set out on display, the Archaeology Service produced an exhibition on the medieval castles of Wiltshire.

The word Castle is derived from the Latin word castellum and before that castrum, meaning fortified place. The earliest examples appeared in the middle ages and were constructed from earth and timber, but these were soon superseded in stone. They acted as statements of might and force, compared to those of the later medieval era when fortifications and defence were replaced by opulence and comfort - a statement of wealth and power of a very different kind.



An 18th century drawing of the Marlborough Mount

Of the various types, Marlborough Mount is a classic example of a Motte and Bailey, becoming a royal residence during the reign of William the Conqueror. Little is known about the origins of the mound, or motte, with one theory suggesting it may yet prove to be similar in date to the nearby Late Neolithic Silbury Hill. Future research may unravel its mysterious past.

Old Wardour Castle, with its impressive surviving ruins, is situated three miles from Tisbury. Unique and unusual in its hexagonal design, it was influenced by the French chateaux of the time, and its purpose was as a lavish home more than a fortification. This was brought into sharp focus with the determined efforts of Lady Arundell to defend her home during the English Civil War.  In 1643, with just 25 men to protect her and her castle, she held out for three days against a Parliamentarian army of over 1000 soldiers, only surrendering once she had obtained guarantees of safe passage for her family and staff. Incidentally, that original surrender document is held here at the History Centre.

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Medieval Open Day

Saturday 25 September

10 am - 4 pm

Please 'read more' to find out which fun and free activities are on offer this year...

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We thought it was time for another update on the grave burial from Bognor Regis as yet more exciting finds have been uncovered.

The Helmet
 

The latest stage of the excavation has seen the helmet completely uncovered with the discovery of an attachment that would have held a chin strap in place. Although damaged the helmet is in one piece and, thanks to the painstaking work of our contract conservator Kelly Abbott, is ready to be lifted free of the surrounding soil. Read on to see some additional images of the helmet attachments........
 

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Work has progressed significantly since our last blog entry – as a result of a lot of hard work from our Contract Conservator! The shield boss has now been excavated along with a large iron object which has two copper alloy rings placed alongside it. The identity of this is unknown but one suggestion has been that it might be a large knife or sword that has been bent in half.

 a large knife or sword bent in half

The excavation of the largest block is coming on in leaps and bounds, with a section of the helmet now exposed and several of the small hanging attachments. It’s really exciting to finally see the artefacts for real after weeks of painstaking excavation work.

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The news from the Objects Conservation labs this week is that work is about to get underway on an exciting project from Bognor Regis. Archaeologists have discovered a burial containing a number of finds which x-rays have so far revealed to be a helmet, shield boss and several ornate copper fittings.

 X-ray image of the shield boss

The burial is thought to date to the late Iron Age or early Roman period and is believed to be unique to the area.

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