GREAT TORRINGTON CASTLE: COMMUNITY DIG
Dates:
Frid 22 September – Sun 8 October 2023
Part of ‘Torrington Through Time’ Project
Great Torrington has had a chequered interest in the towns ‘Castle’ over the years.
Long known about, but with no acknowledgment of its existence on or around the remaining structure. With little information being available concerning its actual shape, size and layout, a project is underway which hopes to uncover much of the hidden heritage of the castle site, through a proposed dig in 2023.
Torrington Castle was the seat of one of Devon’s great Norman Baronies, so deserves to be put back on the map!
The motte mound and sections of the ramparts, on the edge of the Commons, survived largely intact but unacknowledged until the mid-20th century, when the site was infilled and converted into a car park by the County Council. The recent Historic England archive of aerial photography, made available online has highlighted how much erosion of the site has occurred since the 1930s and these images have highlighted the urgency to investigate, understand and hopefully then protect the castle for the community moving forward. The site remains unprotected to this day, not scheduled, like the many small similar motte and baileys in the surrounding landscape. Whilst it may no longer meet the strict criteria of designation, the excavation will help obtain further information about the history of castle and town.
This castle is also unique! It is the only one in Britain that sits on common ground which is ‘owned’ by the people of the town (G.T Commons Conservators) – all the rest are claimed by heritage organisations, private individuals or councils already – that makes this special.
This has also meant that Torrington, once the seat of one of Devon great medieval Baronies is not often included in the studies on castles in the county.
Previously there have been a series of small commercially led excavations in the proximity of the castle; for example in 1987 when the pavilion was installed on the bowling green site; these excavations uncovered evidence of stone buildings, floor surfaces and pottery from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The shallow overburden of soil and good preservation of the archaeology found suggests promising opportunities may lie ahead for the community in exploring the wider site.
The physical survey of the earthworks which surround the car park and the remnants of the motte mound, as well as GPS and Lidar studies were undertaken March-August 2022 by Torrington Through Time (GT Futures Group and Archaeologists Engage).
The report can be found at this LINK (TTT21 REPORT)