Gannock Castle
Encyclopedia
Gannock Castle is located in the village of Tempsford
, in the county of Bedfordshire
, England
. It is located 6 miles east of Great Barford Castle
and 9 miles east of Bedford Castle
.
, it was in truth a motte and bailey
fortified manor house
with a manorial complex
, built by the Normans
in the late 12th, or early 13th, century. It was built as a rectangular ward, enclosed by a moat
, with a rampart
. The small motte
, located in the north-east section of the ward, is believed to have been the site of a beacon
or timber tower
.
There is belief that the castle was built on the site of a 10th century Danish Viking
fort. This belief is because the Danish Vikings
, who had landed in East Anglia
in 865, participated in a battle at Tempsford
in 921, on the exact location upon which Gannock castle was later built.
, and the moat
still remains. Currently, the site is owned by Central Bedfordshire Council. The site is a Scheduled Monument, protected by law.
A geophysical survey
of the castle site and adjoining playing field was organised by the Friends of Gannock Castle and carried out on 29 June 2004, by geophysical
engineers
, in the form of a Resistivity
and Magnetometer
survey.
A second geophysical survey
of the surrounding fields to the west and south of the site was organised by the Friends of Gannock Castle, and carried out on 1 December 2006, by geophysical
engineers
, in the form of a Fluxgate Gradiometer survey.
of Gannock Castle was begun in 2003, with an opening day Medieval fair
on 19 June 2006. The local Member of Parliament
, Mr Alistair Burt MP
, was a guest speaker. The fair featured a medieval
re-enactment
group, as well as wandering minstrels and dancers. Numerous stalls were set up, with demonstrations of crafts, archery
, and medieval combat
.
Additional improvements to the site include the installation of benches and bird/bat boxes
; restoration of a wildflower area; tree and scrub management; installation of an interpretation board and creation of a 'Heritage' trail leaflet. The Heritage Trail leaflet can be downloaded from the Tempsford websites below.
A causeway
was built across the Gannock Castle moat
, which is wet throughout the year, to allow greater access to the site. The causeway
was not dug into the site, allowing it to be removed at a future date with no damage to the site.
The site contained extensive scrub which was cleared by the Friends of Gannock Castle, Tempsford villagers and the Ivel & Ouse Countryide Project volunteers. Specialists were used when required. The wood was logged, dried, and used as fire wood by local villagers. Smaller cuttings were mulch
ed and spread across the site.
The site is freely accessible in daylight hours. Car parking is by the side of Church Road, Tempsford
and the site is signposted from the road.
Tempsford
Tempsford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire.The village is split by the A1 Great North Road and is located just before the junction with the A428 at the Black Cat Roundabout...
, in the county of Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located 6 miles east of Great Barford Castle
Great Barford Castle
Great Barford Castle, later known as "Creakers Manor", was a Norman castle located in the village of Great Barford, in the county of Bedfordshire, England ....
and 9 miles east of Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle
Bedford Castle was a large medieval castle in Bedford, England. Built after 1100 by Henry I, the castle played a prominent part in both the civil war of the Anarchy and the First Barons' War. The castle was significantly extended in stone, although the final plan of the castle remains uncertain...
.
History
Though called a castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, it was in truth a motte and bailey
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
fortified manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
with a manorial complex
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
, built by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in the late 12th, or early 13th, century. It was built as a rectangular ward, enclosed by a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, with a rampart
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
. The small motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
, located in the north-east section of the ward, is believed to have been the site of a beacon
Beacon
A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...
or timber tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
.
There is belief that the castle was built on the site of a 10th century Danish Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
fort. This belief is because the Danish Vikings
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
, who had landed in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
in 865, participated in a battle at Tempsford
Tempsford
Tempsford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire.The village is split by the A1 Great North Road and is located just before the junction with the A428 at the Black Cat Roundabout...
in 921, on the exact location upon which Gannock castle was later built.
Present
There is still some evidence of the castle, in the form of earthworksEarthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
, and the moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
still remains. Currently, the site is owned by Central Bedfordshire Council. The site is a Scheduled Monument, protected by law.
A geophysical survey
Geophysical survey
Geophysical survey is the systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies. Geophysical surveys may use a great variety of sensing instruments, and data may be collected from above or below the Earth's surface or from aerial or marine platforms. Geophysical surveys have many...
of the castle site and adjoining playing field was organised by the Friends of Gannock Castle and carried out on 29 June 2004, by geophysical
Archaeological geophysics
Geophysical survey in archaeology most often refers to ground-based physical sensing techniques used for archaeological imaging or mapping. Remote sensing and marine surveys are also used in archaeology, but are generally considered separate disciplines...
engineers
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, in the form of a Resistivity
Resistivity
Electrical resistivity is a measure of how strongly a material opposes the flow of electric current. A low resistivity indicates a material that readily allows the movement of electric charge. The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm metre...
and Magnetometer
Magnetometer
A magnetometer is a measuring instrument used to measure the strength or direction of a magnetic field either produced in the laboratory or existing in nature...
survey.
A second geophysical survey
Geophysical survey
Geophysical survey is the systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies. Geophysical surveys may use a great variety of sensing instruments, and data may be collected from above or below the Earth's surface or from aerial or marine platforms. Geophysical surveys have many...
of the surrounding fields to the west and south of the site was organised by the Friends of Gannock Castle, and carried out on 1 December 2006, by geophysical
Archaeological geophysics
Geophysical survey in archaeology most often refers to ground-based physical sensing techniques used for archaeological imaging or mapping. Remote sensing and marine surveys are also used in archaeology, but are generally considered separate disciplines...
engineers
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, in the form of a Fluxgate Gradiometer survey.
Restoration
RestorationBuilding restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
of Gannock Castle was begun in 2003, with an opening day Medieval fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
on 19 June 2006. The local Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Mr Alistair Burt MP
Alistair Burt
Alistair James Hendrie Burt is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Bedfordshire...
, was a guest speaker. The fair featured a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
re-enactment
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
group, as well as wandering minstrels and dancers. Numerous stalls were set up, with demonstrations of crafts, archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, and medieval combat
Combat reenactment
Combat reenactment is a side of historical reenactment which aims to depict historical forms of combat. This may refer to either single combat, melees involving small groups, or nearly full-scale battles with hundreds of participants....
.
Additional improvements to the site include the installation of benches and bird/bat boxes
Nest box
A nest box, also spelled nestbox is a man-made box provided for animals to nest in. Nest boxes are most frequently utilized for wild and domesticated birds, in which case they are also called birdhouses, but some mammalian species may also use them. Birdhouses are the most common types of nest...
; restoration of a wildflower area; tree and scrub management; installation of an interpretation board and creation of a 'Heritage' trail leaflet. The Heritage Trail leaflet can be downloaded from the Tempsford websites below.
A causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
was built across the Gannock Castle moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, which is wet throughout the year, to allow greater access to the site. The causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
was not dug into the site, allowing it to be removed at a future date with no damage to the site.
The site contained extensive scrub which was cleared by the Friends of Gannock Castle, Tempsford villagers and the Ivel & Ouse Countryide Project volunteers. Specialists were used when required. The wood was logged, dried, and used as fire wood by local villagers. Smaller cuttings were mulch
Mulch
In agriculture and gardening, is a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination. Mulching in gardens and landscaping mimics the leaf cover that is found on forest floors....
ed and spread across the site.
The site is freely accessible in daylight hours. Car parking is by the side of Church Road, Tempsford
Tempsford
Tempsford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Bedfordshire.The village is split by the A1 Great North Road and is located just before the junction with the A428 at the Black Cat Roundabout...
and the site is signposted from the road.