On Sunday 24th July, our director, Alan, & site historian Annabelle, visited the third season of excavations at Shrewsbury Castle. The excavations are being funded by the Castle Studies Trust and undertaken by local volunteers under the direction of Dr Nigel Baker and David (Dai) Williams and students from University Centre Shrewsbury (University of Chester) led by Dr. Morn Capper.
Morn showed us the excavation that is taking place on top of the motte. Trenches have been cut into the cobbled surface next to Laura’s Tower, the summer house built by Thomas Telford in the late eighteenth century. The team are looking for traces of medieval structures, including the foundations of the Norman timber watchtower that stood on the motte until the thirteenth century.
Unfortunately excavation had had to stop for the day by the time we arrived as it was raining heavily, but the features we were shown in the trenches were very interesting; the team have uncovered what they believe to be the surface of the original motte top & within that, a slot for a timber support beam and a possible post hole.
We’d like to thank Morn for inviting us to visit the dig, and we hope that she will be able to visit Caer Alyn soon.
https://www1.chester.ac.uk/news/shrewsbury-castle-be-explored-funding-new-summer-dig?list=16300
Caer Alyn 