Cerne

Has been described as a Rejected Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are uncertain remains

NameCerne
Alternative NamesCernei
Historic CountryDorset
Modern AuthorityDorset
1974 AuthorityDorset
Civil ParishCerne Abbas

Mentioned by Harvey, but little evidence other than a mention of a castle Cernei being taken by Stephen in 1139.

Gatehouse Comments

There are numerous weakly possible sites near to Cerne Abbas (at given map reference). The castle of Cernei is usually taken as in Wiltshire and Ashton Keynes, South Cerney and Calne have been suggested as sites. This castle was stormed, rather than besieged, so this may suggest a small castle although still significant enough to be mentioned. South Cerney is most generally accepted as the site of this munitiunculam of Miles of Gloucester. The other places mentioned in this paragraph of the Gesta Stephani are Trowbridge and Malmesbury which might suggest this was a campaign against urban centres in Wiltshire, which makes Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceST665012
Latitude50.8094787597656
Longitude-2.47544002532959
Eastings366500
Northings101200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Wilton, Phil, 1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)

Journals

  • Jackson, J. E., 1889, 'Calne' Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine Vol. 24 p. 176 online copy

Primary Sources

  • Sewell, R.C. (ed), 1846, Gesta Stephani, Regis Anglorum et Ducis Normannorum p. 59 online copy (The newer edition and translation by Potter, K.R. (ed), 1976 (2edn), Gesta Stephani (Oxford University Press) should be consulted for serious study. See also Speight, S., 2000, 'Castle Warfare in the Gesta Stephani' , Château Gaillard Vol. 19 [see online transcription > http://web.archive.org/web/20101229213751/http://www.deremilitari.org/resources/articles/speight.htm])
  • Hardy, D.H., (ed), 1840, Willelmi Malmesbriensis monachi gestis regum Anglorum atque Historiae novella (London) p. 726, 732 online copy (A revised edition by Edmund King (Oxford University Press, 1999) should also be consulted)