Shrewsbury Castle visitors witness history being uncovered

Visitors to Shrewsbury Castle are able to watch history being uncovered as a 12-day archaeological dig is now underway to explore the motte.

The Castle Studies Trust has granted £6,790 for a team led by local archaeologist Dr Nigel Baker and Dr Morn Capper of University Centre Shrewsbury (UCS), which is part of the University of Chester, to excavate on top of the motte, the great earth mound overlooking the river.

Museums and heritage students from UCS and Archaeology at Chester are volunteering as part of the research team.

The Castle Studies Trust is a UK-based charity founded in July 2012 with the aim of increasing knowledge of castles in the UK and abroad. It is entirely funded by the public, and will award grants of up to £10,000.

Dr Capper said:-

“For three seasons now, our students have worked alongside professionals and National Trust volunteers, learning to understand key research and conservation questions in archaeological heritage: how did the Castle develop, what evidence can we uncover to explain who lived here, and how can we work together to ensure it is preserved and enjoyed sustainably in future? We are already finding new evidence about the curtain wall and the structures on top of Shrewsbury Castle motte. We welcome visitors whenever the Castle is open until we close the trench early on  Thursday 28 July.

“Students from our Museums and Heritage Practice course have also worked with Shropshire Council’s museum service to install a popup exhibition at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.”

Dr Baker said:-

“We know this was the strongest point of the Norman castle, and was once crowned by a tall wooden tower, sometimes called the ‘Great Tower of Shrewsbury’, until that was undermined by the river and fell down in the mid-1200s.

“The big question is though – how much damage did Thomas Telford do up there when he built Laura’s Tower? Previous digs funded by the Trust found that Telford’s restoration in the 1780s had been extremely destructive, though evidence survived that the site had been occupied in the Saxon period, and before the castle was built by the Normans to suppress revolt in newly-conquered Shrewsbury.”

A display exploring previous discoveries in the Castle area can be seen in Shrewsbury Library.

Roy Aldcroft, Shropshire Council’s deputy Cabinet member for communities, culture, leisure and tourism, and transport, welcomed the opportunity to gain further insight into Shrewsbury Castle’s history.

Roy said:-

“This latest round of excavations will add vital new knowledge to our understanding of the history and archaeology of Shrewsbury Castle. It will also be a great opportunity for people visiting the castle to learn how archaeologists work.

“Shropshire Council is also grateful to the Castle Studies Trust for providing further grant funding to enable Dr Baker and Dr Capper to continue their work exploring the castle’s story.”

Professor Paul Johnson, head of University Centre Shrewsbury, added:-

“It is really exciting to support this excavation right in the heart of our community which will also contribute to the conservation of this vital piece of our heritage.”

Recent maintenance and repairs-related investigative work at the Shropshire Council-run site have seen vegetation cleared from parts of the historic castle walls, revealing a wealth of new information on how the castle was built, fell into ruin, was re-fortified in the Civil War, and eventually turned into a grand house.

Shrewsbury Castle and the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum, within its grounds, are open Monday to Wednesday, and Friday to Saturday, from 10.30am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 10.30am to 4pm. The castle and its grounds are closed on Thursdays.