Newcastle, Castle Garth, Civil War Bastion

HER Number:
11510

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle, Castle Garth, Civil War Bastion

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:
Fortification

Site Type: Specific:
Bastion

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C17

Form of Evidence:
Physical Evidence

Description:
During the Civil War the dunghill in the Castle Garth was cleared by John Marley to make way for new defences. In 1643 Marley heightened the castle with planking for artillery and a V-shaped stone wall with ashlar face and rubble core and a ditch were hastily added to the castle defences. Archaeological excavation in 1977 found that the wall survived to a height of 2m and had timber lacing through it - perhaps to act as a shock absorber? The rubbish fill of the bastion ditch contained a 9lb cannon ball, C17 domestic (pottery, glass and animal bones) and industrial waste (broken glass vessels from an apothecary and offcuts and scrap from cobblers' and tailors' workshops - wood used for heels and pegs in shoes). 'Pock marks' on the west face of the Keep are thought to be the result of C17 pot shots. The damaged outer face of the Keep has been pieced in with mortar near to the bastion. The temporary seige works were infilled in 1650.

Easting:
2502

Northing:
6388

Grid Reference:
NZ25026388

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
M. Ellison and B. Harbottle, 1983, The Excavation of a 17th Century Bastion in the Castle of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Archaeologia Aeliana, Series 5, Vol XI; Notes taken during lecture by John Nolan 4th October 2008 "The Civil Wars on Tyneside as revealed by archaeology" at the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne Symposium 2008, The British Civil Wars in the North East