Oakham Town Defences

Has been described as a Possible Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameOakham Town Defences
Alternative NamesOkeham
Historic CountryRutland
Modern AuthorityRutland
1974 AuthorityLeicestershire
Civil ParishOakham

No remains of defensive town gates, not associated with wall or bank. (Bond 1987)

Large medieval ditch recorded in 2005. It was recut in post-medieval times before being filled in by the C18th. Thought to be a boundary surrounding the town, shown on John Speed's map of 1611. Pottery (mid C15th-late C17th) and other finds were found in the fill. (Leicestershire and Rutland HER ref. Williams 2005)

Gatehouse Comments

Creighton, based on Radford, suggests the bank in Cutts Close is a remnant of more extensive defences now lost probably original an Anglo-saxon burh and that the castle was imposed within, rather than remodelled from, a pre existing earthwork. Jones excavated a large ditch which may also have been part of the defences.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSK862090
Latitude52.6723518371582
Longitude-0.725849986076355
Eastings486200
Northings309040
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 115
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 38, 267, 279
  • Cox, B., 1994, The Place-Names of Rutland (English Place-Name Society 67-69) p. xlix-lii
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  • Page, Wm (ed), 1935, VCH Rutland Vol. 2 p. 5- online copy

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • Creighton, O.H., 1999, 'Early Castles in the Medieval Landscape of Rutland' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 73 p. 19-33 (plan) online copy
  • Jones, E., 1995, 'An archaeological salvage excavation and watching brief at South Street, Oakham' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 69 p. 118 online copy
  • Sharman, J. and Sawday, D., 1990, 'An archaeological evaluation in the outer bailey of Oakham Castle (SK 862 089)' Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society Vol. 64 p. 88-94 online copy
  • Radford, C.A.R., 1955, 'Oakham Castle' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 112 p. 183

Other

  • Williams, Steve. 2005. Archaeological investigations at Oakham School, Oakham, Rutland