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The remains of a stone tower have been discovered during a recent archaeological dig in Chichester’s Priory Park. They are believed to be the remains of a barbican that would have been used to defend the West Sussex city’s Norman castle.
The excavation was led by Chichester District Council’s archaeologist, James Kenny, in collaboration with the Chichester & District Archaeology Society (CDAS). Work on the site began in 2022, after a series of ground-penetrating radar and geophysical surveys conducted around the remains of the Norman motte-and-bailey castle revealed intriguing features. This is now the eighth excavation to be conducted at Priory Park, with last year’s investigations having revealed the remains of a masonry causeway and possible bridge that would have once led to the motte, as well as part of the ditch that surrounded it.
This year’s aim was to explore more of the ditch, hoping to find its inside edge as well as to reach the bottom of the masonry causeway’s foundations. In so doing, they established that the causeway in fact led to a stone tower, measuring roughly 6m by 10m (19.9ft by 32.8ft), whose remains were found just below ground level. Due to its proximity to the causeway and motte, it is believed to be the remains of a barbican defending a bridge.
Commenting on the discovery, James Kenny said: ‘Until we uncovered the stonework, it was believed that the castle was purely a timber structure, but the discovery of a robust masonry causeway – and now tower – means that the castle was rebuilt in stone, something that could only have been sanctioned by someone in authority. The masonry is of the very highest quality, so this was a building intended to impress. It seems likely that the motte would also have been provided with a masonry tower, or keep, at about the same time. This is hugely exciting because it places this castle and the importance of this area in a different light to what we previously thought.’
Now the next step is to establish when the castle was rebuilt in stone, and if its architecture has parallels with other sites, which would help narrow down who may have ordered the construction. At the moment, it is believed the two most likely candidates are Henry II (r. 1154-1189) or the Earl of Arundel.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Image: Chichester District Council
