Newnham Castle was an 11th-century fortification built in the town of Newnham-on-Severn in Gloucestershire; only earthworks now survive.
History
The castle was constructed following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, as the invaders pushed on into South Wales. It may have been the first castle to have been built beyond the River Severn, and controlled an important crossing point over the river, as well as lying on the old Roman road between Gloucester and Caerwent. The manor of Newnham, and its settlement, was controlled by the Crown after the invasion, up until the 14th century.
The castle had a motte-and-bailey design, roughly three-sided, and up to 58 m across at its widest point. It was positioned on high ground on the southern side of the village, close to the parish church. The castle continued in use for some years, probably being used as a muster point by Henry II in 1171, before his invasion of Ireland.
Newnham grew into a borough by 1187 and the castle appears to have fallen out of use, becoming known as the “old castle” in documents. In the English Civil War in the 17th century, new defensive works were built just to the north of the castle. Archaeological investigations were carried out in the 19th century, but were never published.
Bibliography
- Douthwaite, Antonia, Vince Devine and Matthew Tilley. (2007) Gloucestershire Historic Towns Survey, Forest of Dean District Archaeological Assessments: Newnham. Gloucestershire County Council: Gloucester, UK.
- Morgan, Kathleen and Brian S Smith (1972) “Newnham: Introduction”, in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 10, Westbury and Whitstone Hundreds, ed. C. R. Elrington, N. M. Herbert and R. B. Pugh. Victoria County History of England: London, UK/ pp. 29-36.
Attribution
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