Framlingham Town Defences

Has been described as a Possible Urban Defence

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameFramlingham Town Defences
Alternative Names
Historic CountrySuffolk
Modern AuthoritySuffolk
1974 AuthoritySuffolk
Civil ParishFramlingham

? C12 defences of Earthen banks. Short lengths of circuit remain. (Bond)

The Town Ditch is visible as a substantial rectilinear feature running to the immediate north and east of the castle before disappearing under the houses to the north of Castle Street (Brown 2002). It has been noted that the Town Ditch sits rather uncomfortably with the existing castle earthworks (Brown 2002, 33) so it seems unlikely to be associated with them and it is difficult to see a context for its excavation once the castle and its earthworks had been constructed, as it would have been easier to use the outer moat ditch. It therefore seems probable that the Town Ditch predates the castle, which suggests several possible roles. It could have enclosed an Anglo-Saxon manorial or minster complex that predated the first Norman castle; it could have enclosed the earthwork castle and/or the suggested proto-urban centre associated with it; or it could have enclosed the intermediate high status centre represented by the first stone hall and chapel. The original form and extent of the town ditch is unknown but ... (Alexander p. 37)

Gatehouse Comments

See Magnus Alexanders report for full discussion. The surviving parts of the Town Ditch are close to Framlingham Castle ditches and the town ditch seems to be included in the Castle records for PastScape and the Suffolk HER. Also see the castle's bibliography.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTM287638
Latitude52.2244911193848
Longitude1.34926998615265
Eastings628700
Northings263800
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 157 (mention)
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 39, 263
  • Wade, Keith, and Dymond, David, 1999 (3edn), 'Smaller Medieval Towns' in Dymond, David and Martin, Edward (eds) An Historical Atlas of Suffolk (Lavenham) p. 162-3
  • 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
  • Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales (CBA Research Report 14) p. 57-71 download/view online
  • Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 125

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • Duncan Stirk, 2010, 'Archaeology in Suffolk 2009' Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History Vol. 42.2 p. 210 online copy

Other

  • Alexander, Magnus, 2007, Framlingham Castle, Suffolk The Landscape Context (English Heritage Research Department Report Series No. 106)
  • Brown, M., 2002, Framlingham Castle, Framlingham, Suffolk. Archaeological Investigation Series 24/2002 (English Heritage)