THE C L W Y 0 - POW Y 5 ARC H A E 0 LOG I C A L T R U 5 T

Transcription

1 THE C L W Y 0 - POW Y 5 ARC H A E 0 LOG I C A L T R U 5 T GRO TUMP NEWTOWN SOME PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND AMENITY AREA AT ST GILES GOLF COURSE Timber matte-and-bailey castle depicted on the Bayeux tapestry

2 BACKGROUND The fo llowing notes and recommendations are made in response to a request from Montgomeryshire District Council for advice about the proposed residential development of St Giles' golf course Newtown (M17163) with particular reference to the Gro Tump motte-and-bailey castle which currently forms part of the golf course It is understood that the Planning Committee of the District Council has resolved to invite the applicant to enter into an Agreement under Section 52 of the Town and Country Planning Act whereupon it would grant planning permission The intention of this agreement is to bring into public ownership both the Gro Tump monument and approximately 10 acres of recreational land adjoining the Severn SCHEDULED ANCIENT MONUMENT STATUS Gro Tump is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Montgomery No 59: see extent of scheduled area on figure 1) Any ground disturbance affecting the scheduled area will require the consent of the Secretary of State for Wales An application for consent for any such disturbance would need to be addressed to Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments DESCRIPTION OF MONUMENT Gro Tump has a magificent setting on the banks of the Severn on the eastern outskirts of Newtown Powys (SO ) adjacent to the A483 the main road between Welshpool and Newtown The monument is a motte-and-bailey castle an early form of castle with earthwork and timber defences which was probably built by Roger de Montgomery as part of the Anglo-Norman conquest and control of Wales in the 11th century (Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Record No 1035) It occupies a slightly raised platform bounded on the north by the river Severn with a small inlet of the river on the north-east side (figure 2) The motte is steep-sided about m high and about 8 m in diameter at the summit and stands within a deep and broad encircling ditch which is carried throught to the river on the north side by two short strectches which isolate a roughly rectangular inner bailey about 20 m by 10 m across with a defensive bank at its west end The outer bailey is about 21 m wide at the west and 5 m wide at the east and is defined by an outer bank and ditch carried through to the river cliff There is no clear evidence of the position of the original gateway into the outer bailey but it is possible that this lay on the south-east side where the outer bank is now broken through by the line of the 19th century racecourse (figure 3) A low earthwork on the north-west of the monument probably belongs to the construction of the racecourse It is possible that the inlet on t he north-east side of the monument represents a riverside quay co ntemporary with the castle Access from the river to the castle may have been possible by means of a water - gate at the point where the motte ditch has been cut through to meet the river bank The summit of the motte is relatively small and probably housed a defensive timber tower approached by timber bridges from the outer bailey and possibly

3 also from the inner bailey The inner bailey seems likely to have housed a substantial timber hall overlooking the river and the outer bailey may have been tightly packed with other ancillary timber buildings and other structures The banks of the outer bailey would have been surmounted by a timber palisade and a defensive gate or gate-to\'~er provided at the outer entrance Parts of a ridge-and-furrow field system are visible on the relatively flat ground to the west of the castle This is possibly of medieval or i gin an d part of the open-field system contemporary with the castle The motte northern inner bailey and parts of the earthworks on the southwest and west of the monument are currently covered by a number of mature oak trees and lower scrub The outer bailey on the west and south accommodates a number of greens b u n k ers and tees belonging to the golf course Whilst part of the monument has been damaged by lat er acti v ity a wealth of archaeological evidence undoubtedly still survives beneath the turf which it is vital to preserve intact RECOM MENDA TlONS The following provisional recommendations are made concerning archaeological recording at and around the monument the future management of the monument as a low-key amenity and the potential for setting up an educational and interpretative centre In considerin g these proposals it will be necessary to bear in mind their compatibility with the proposed housing development and the necessary capital and maintenance costs The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust is interested being invol v ed in the future management of the monument in one capacity or another partly in view of the importance of the monument itself and partly for the potential i t offers as a focus for educational activities of various kinds These notes have been circulated to a number of interested parties noted at the end Comments are welcomed and it is hoped that further consultation with the Trus t should take place if action i s taken on any of the recommendations tha t are made here General considerations 1 Gro Tump is perhaps Newtown's best ancient monument and despite some damage is an interesting and important site still surviving in a relativel y good state of preser v ation It is magnificently sited on the banks of the Se v ern on one of the main routes through mid Wales and presents exciting oppo r tun i tie s for disp l ay and inter pretatio n as part of a more extensive riverside amenity area 2 However in mak i ng th e monument more accessible to th e general public ev e ry effort s hould b e taken to ensure that it does not become dama ged in any wa y General planning considerations 3 Every effort must be made to limit the visu a l impact of the proposed residential development on the monument Buildings roads etc should

4 therefore be kept as far from the monument as possible 4 Any ground disturbance within the scheduled area of the monument will need the explicit approval of the Secretary of State and it would be adv isabl e to seek ad v ice from the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments Cadw at the earliest opportunity It should also be noted that it is an offence to carry out any form of metal-detecting or treasure-hunting within the scheduled area Rescue archaeology 5 The field system to the west of the monument (figure 2) potentially forms an important element of the history of the landscape in the vicinity of the monument and it is important that an archaeological survey of of this is carried out in advance of the residential development It is recommended that this work should be funded by the developer 6 An archaeological watching brief should be maintained during the development including roadbuilding drainage works and house-building in order to recover any evidence of medieval or earlier settlement activity This could be carried out in a manner which did not impede the progress of development and it is again recommended that this should be funded by the developer Maintenance of the monument as a public amenity 7 If it is possible to ensure the continued protection of the monument its visual and interpretative value would be considerably enhanced by removing scrub vegetation It might be possible to retain the larger mature oak trees for the time being and not to replant when they die 8 A number of the larger oak trees on the monument if retained are in need of remedial trimming which would need to be carried out professionally It will be necessary to ensure that the removal of scrub and any larger timber and the disposal of waste material is carried out in a manner that will not cause damage to the monument It is uncertain whether there are any Tree Preservation Orders affecting the site but in any case it will be essential to obtain the permission and advice of the Ancient Monuments Inspectorate of Cadw before any such work is undertaken It might appropriate for the applicant to pay for the trimming felling and removal of any of the larger timber from the monumen t 9 Clearance would also provide a good opportunity for carrying out a detailed archaeological survey of the monument The combination of a detailed metrical survey and contouring with advanced computer enhancement techniques would provide a valuable record of the monument for both management and academic purposes The work might be carried out as part of a training programme in archaeological survey techniques but alternatively it might be appropriate that this is funded by the developer 10 Features on the western side of the monument belonging to the golf course and the earlier racecourse are now part of the history of the monument and whilst some or all of the bunkers might be infilled or partially infilled with topsoil for safety and ease of maintenance there is probably litte to be gained from attempting to conceal these features entirely It might again be appropriate for the costs of limited remedial landscaping of this kind to be met by the developer

5 11 The footbridge giving access to the inner bailey may be potentially dangerous if the site is open to the public and should therefore be removed at the earliest opportunity by the developer 12 Once vegetation has been cleared and bunkers etc have been levelled it would be necessary to maintain the monument as grassland This would need some ongoing commitment from ground staff but it might also be appropriate to periodically let the land out for grazing by sheep as long as a careful eye was kept on potential erosion from this source 13 If the monument is to be made more accessible to the general public it will be necessary to carefully monitor any damage to the earthworks caused by visitors scaling the earthworks on foot or from use as a children's playground If visitor figures are high and if erosion becomes a problem it might be necessary in time for a managing authority to restrict access to the monument or to consider providing paths t imber bridges or stairs at various points 14 Sensitive stock-proof fencing and/or hedging of the monument will be essential if sheep grazing is seen as a means of maintaining the monument Ideally this should be set up as far as possible from the earthworks and would in any case require the permission of the Ancient Monuments Inspectorate of Cadw if it were envisaged setting any part of it up within the scheduled area It is recommended that costs of this work should be borne by the developer 15 Entrance to the monument would be most appropriately provided by one of breaks throught the defences of the outer bailey made by the 19th century racecourse 16 It is probably unrealistic and undesirable to consider attempting a reconstruction of any part of the monument - whether timber defences or internal timber buildings :it would be necessary firstly to carry out extensive and costly archaeological excavations a nd any reconstruction would be extremely exp ensive and present on-going problems of maintenance and safety Reconstruction in this instance ~J ould be more appropriate in terms of models or graphic displays Presentation as a low-key amenity 17 Careful consideration would need to be given to how visitors would access cert ain parts of the monument and in a way which will not give rise to erosion Signposts and i n terpretation panels might prov i de a good means of interpreting the monument to the general public and at the same time controlli n g the possible effects of erosion from visitors It might be appropriate for costs of this work to be borne by the developer 18 If the monument is to be promoted as a public amenity of this kind i t will be necessary to provide road access and parking near the monument This would need to be integrated within the overall design of the proposed housing estate but might be sited to either the north-west o r south-west of the monument Both the access road and a carpark might also be seen as an oppo r tunity of creating a 'buffer zone' between the monument and the adjacent housing development from which the monumen t might be viewed by the general public Costs of construction would appropriately be met by the developer

6 19 The site might form part of a trail of castles in Montgomeryshire accessible to the public (eg Montgomery Powis Dolforwyn) promoted by means of a leaflet or guidebook and signposting and possibly by special events The feasibility of providing a visitor interpretation centre 20 Gro Tump is one of the better of a fairly high number of earthwork castles in Montgomeryshire and potentially one of the few which might be readily accessible to the general public Professional advice might be sought now or at some time in the future about the feasibility of providing a visitor or interpretation centre attached to a carpark near the monument (figure 4) This might for example be the only centre in Britain dealing exclusively with our early timber castles and more specifically with the Anglo-Norman conquest of Wales but might also contain displays on other aspects of local history and the natural history of the riverside amenity area 21 A centre of this kind might form the focus of a broad range of educational as well as appropriate but more popular activities such as natural history and earthwork conservation archaeological excavation and recording possibly run as a summer training-school by a university department medieval fairs archery etc In the case of spectator events however careful consideration would need to be given to whether the site is large enough to accommodate them and what effects this might have on the monuments 22 A centre of this kind might attract financial support from both public and private bodies supported in capital and running costs and might be partly self-financing from sales and entrance fees and might be marketed as an attraction for day visitors tourists as well as for the local population CIRCULATION J Forrester Addie Department of Architecture and Planning County Hall Llandrindod Wells Powys C J Arnold Secretary CBA Group 2 (Wales) Bron Arwell Green Lane Abermule Powys P A Barker Chairman The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust 4 St George's Square Worcester WRl IHX M Chapman Chairman Powysland Club Dr Sian Rees Cadw:Welsh Historic Monuments BruneI House Fitzalan Road Cardiff CF2 luy C J Spurgeon Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments in Wales Edleston House Queen's Road Aberystwyth Dyfed G Thomas Assistant Director of Planning Montgomery District Council Severn Street Welshpool W J BRITNELL The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust 7a Church Street Welshpool Powys 24 May 1989

7 rro' '7'UJ(J' D v:: 1 1' '11 ' o 0 O:~ ~ 0 7 t;) ' () o : 00 Q fj - Figure 1 LOCATION OF MONUMEN T h'~ Q ~ ' EXTENT OF SCHEDU LE D AR EA L Golf Course ' Stl /() St Giles Golf Course site development Planning application M17163 ;=:::: ::''''1'-''' TECHNO LO GY PARK ~ J!J~=~~=-~~~=';;;:;=' ~ - - _ ~::-:-::-::-::-:-::~::: -- '-::::::::::::::- ;;:~'=-I-~-:~= ' 1-23 May 1989 The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust 7a Church Street Welshpool Powys SY21 7DL Tel: Welshpool (0938) 3670 I ' E3 E3

8 o C &> 0 &> 0 ~ f) 0 ' o GRO TUMP Figure 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES o ~ III -: - t1 # ~ ' a ~ outer bailey - j'-! - -' -:: =~ bailey?water gate \~~ r ~ '0 RIDGE AND FURROW FIELD SYSTEM?open field contemporary with Gro Tump Stl /'0 23 May 1989 The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust 7a Church Street Welshpool Powys SY21 7DL Tel: Welshpool (0938) 3670 e=3 E3 E3 F3 E3 EA E3 E3 E+3 EA EA F

9 G}(O TUlv1P o C <od 0 #> &>0 'Y!) ' 0 ' o Figure 3 LATER FEATURES / / - ' Golf Course ~~ 1 _ ~~ -~ ~~ ~-; ~~ ~~ ' / >-' : :\ 1 2 bunk~rs about 1 m deep (late 70s/early 80s) drainage trench (1980s) /() ;:::::: ::1 19th century racecourse 3 tee (resurfaced 1987) 4 area of spoil taken from 6 5 outer ditch partially infilled wh en 9 built up 6 herringbone drainage and tee resurfaced (1980s) 7 bunker about 1 m deep 8 tee built up and extended to N rt'j =-=-= -: I :: ====-~-:: ~:::f- =;=I~-:~ ~~~~~~-:-:2::=:~~~~~::=::=~ - ~~~~-=-=-:::::: - ::=::::v; 9 tee built up to about 1 m above surrounding are~ :--:'~~ _ -- _ 23 May The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust 7a Church Street Welshpool Powys SY21 7DL I ' rei: Welshpool (0938)3670 E-

10 GRO TUMP ~igure 4 I- PROPOSED DISPLAY 00 IiI / - (2 Q a ' QQ ~' '\ Approximate extent of proposed amenity area proposed limit of housing development ~1 I \ PROPOSED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT bridge and :::~ -' -:: - - ) ~ ~~ '~ boundary fence or /() alternative siting TECHNOLOGY PARK 23 May 1989 The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust 7a Church Street Welshpool Powys SY21 7DL Tel: Welshpool (0938) 3670