From the 1950s to the 1980s, inspectors of ancient monuments in Britain were dispatched for a few weeks every summer to excavate, especially on the castles and monasteries in government care. This was seen as an important process in their training and career development especially for young assistant inspectors. Another major objective was to reveal masonry phases which could be consolidated by the stone masons in the employ of the Ministry of Works (later Department of Environment) and made intelligible to the general public. This function, though, also acted as a constraint on the research objectives of the excavation program. Such excavations on monuments in state guardianship also provided an important training ground for many young medievalists during the school and university vacations. These old-style seasonal excavations came to an end in the 1990s with the rise of new priorities and increasing specialisation and professionalisation/managerialism within the heritage profession. Henceforth, nearly all excavations on monuments in the guardianship of the state were to respond to threats, for example, those caused by the construction of new visitor facilities, and were undertaken by the Central Excavation Unit or outside contractors. There was no longer any room for the amateur/student diggers of the 1980s.
Launceston Castle lies on the western bank of the River Tamar dominating a major river crossing from Devon into Cornwall. The motte and bailey castle, originally of earth and timber, may date from the late 1060s. It is mentioned in the Domesday survey of c. 1085 and was probably amongst lands granted to Robert, count of Mortain in 1075. The Launceston excavations and publication program were directed by Andrew Saunders, formerly chief inspector of ancient monuments for England. The volume starts with a detailed discussion of the documentary sources followed by the main excavation report. Copious detailed plans and section drawings are accompanied by interpretative phase plans and an evocative series of reconstructions by Terry Ball. The excavations from 1961-83 concentrated on the inner bailey area, notably at the foot of the motte, the south-west sector of the inner bailey and the two gate houses. The outer bailey is occupied by the medieval and modern market town of Launceston. Excavation of the south-west sector revealed ephemeral structures from the initial occupation which were shown to have been replaced by buildings with stone foundations in the early to mid 12th century. The bailey rampart was heightened, the shell keep was probably added to the motte, and the southern gatehouse built in stone (if it wasn't already in the late 11th century). The bailey was again heightened in the late 12th/early 13th centuries and the bailey buildings remodelled. The period c. 1227-1250 saw a major rebuilding associated with the earldom of Richard of Cornwall including a new "great" hall and the remodelling of the south gatehouse. The drum tower on the motte can be assigned to the late 13th or early 14th century as can the addition of a northern gatehouse. The castle subsequently saw only minor modifications and was said to dilapidated in 1337. It increasing became a juridical centre rather than functioning as an aristocratic residence. In the late 17th century a county gaol was constructed on the eastern side of the bailey.
The publication of the pottery report by Duncan Brown, the late Robert Thomson and Alan Vince is of major importance for those interested in ceramics of the western seaboard. It presents the first large stratified sequence from east Cornwall and can be compared to important assemblages from Okehampton Castle and the borough of Exeter in Devon. Mineralogical analysis by David Williams to refine provenance adds to its importance. The report confines itself to the pottery of the late Saxon era to the 16th century apart from a few significant pieces. The later pottery was not considered of sufficient interest to justify full analysis after a rapid assessment. It was, however, retained in permanent storage rather than being reburied, so is available for researchers. Much of the early-modern pottery was dominated by North Devon wares.
The finds section of the report is prefaced by an essay by Quita Mould and Alan Vince summarising the key finds by function. The earliest phases of the post-Norman castle were associated with bar-lugged pottery and later chert-tempered wares, the latter probably from south Somerset. Medieval sources of the pottery included north and south Devon, south and east Cornwall and south Somerset as well as farther afield. A single sherd of 11th-12th century date comes from Stamford in the English midlands. The range of imports from France, Germany and Iberia reflects its connection to the Channel and Irish seaways. An unusual find is a fragment of a Saintonge trumpet or horn, a type best known from Ireland with two south-west Welsh outliers. Possibly these were pilgrims signs as has been suggested with the ceramic horns produced in the Meuse/Rhineland area (Koldeweij 2006, 75-6). Indeed the horn has a special connection via the Roland legend with Bordeaux and its outport of Blaye. Both Gascon wine and Saintonge pots were shipped from Bordeaux or its outports; while many pilgrims from Ireland and western Britain arrived there as an intermediate staring point for the land route to Santiago de Compostella.
Quita Mould describes the substantial collection of medieval and post-medieval metalware. Notable individual finds included a copper ingot and a possible ingot of lead. Rachel Tyson's report on the glass identifies a fragment of a late-Saxon claw beaker found in an 11th century context. Other important glass finds include two high-status 13th century vessels. The first was a fragment of yellow high-lead glass beaker, probably of German origin. The second was a nearly complete enamelled beaker depicting a lion passant with a shield and part of the inscription "MARIA GRACI PLENA," and probably of Venetian origin. This was unusual in only being enamelled on the outer surface while its only close English parallel comes from another Cornish castle of Richard, earl of Cornwall at Restormel. Other specialist reports, all by noted experts, include the coins and jettons (John Davies), bone, antler and ivory (Ian Riddler) and clay pipes/pipe clay objects (David Higgins), metal working (Gerry McDonnell and David Dungworth).
Eighteen human burials date to the 18th century and are thought to have been goal prisoners (discussed by Simon Mays and Carole Keepax). Launceston Castle produced very substantial medieval and post-medieval assemblages of animal bones (over 9000 bones and teeth). These have already been published in detail (Albarella and Davies 1996) so only a summary is given in the present report. The 13th century was marked by high status dining notably on the rare limbs of fallow deer and high-status game birds including swan, partridge and plover. The authors also demonstrate that between the 15th and the 16th/17th centuries, cattle, sheep and pigs all increase in size. Umberto Arbarella and Simon Davies argue that this resulted from a mixture of improved management and selective breeding. Most of the fish bones (reported by Pippa Smith) from phases 6 (late 13th-14th centuries) and 8 (15th century) indicate fish came from local marine sources. The report ends with a synthetic discussion by Saunders. This suggests that the castle's early function may have been largely to house a military garrison. The 13th and 14th centuries saw its use as a hunting lodge, reflected in the increased evidence for a knightly/aristocratic lifestyle. Occupation continued until the Civil War but appeared to be less rich and more episodic; followed by its later use as a prison.
Launceston Castle is the sort of massive volume that few will ever read from cover to cover. Some might see it as a dinosaur but this depth of analysis and reporting make it an invaluable reference work and it will be used widely at an international level. Other publications will carry its simplified and synthesised conclusions to a broader public. Its value is in not only elucidating the history of a major castle site but also in providing a mass of comparative material for a wide range of researchers. Like so many such excavations it has revealed a complex and dynamic sequence of changes which were not apparent before digging. The reviewed volume represents twenty years of seasonal excavations and an extended period of post-excavation research involving an array of noted archaeologists. Finds, documentary and structural evidence are woven together to provide a detailed chronology of the castle and its changing structure, function and lifestyles through time. The lack of promptness in publication has for once been a boon as many of the specialist reports reflect new advances in methodology both technical and theoretical, for instance, in regard to reconstructing lifestyles and consumption. This type of detailed monograph will probably be an increasing rarity in decades to come but will be cited for a very long time.
References Albarella U. 8 Davis S. 1996. "Mammals and birds from Launceston Castle, Cornwall: decline in status and the rise of agriculture," Circaea 12 (1):1-156. Koldeweij, J. 2006. Foi et Bonne Fortune: Parue et Dévotion en Flandre Médiévale. Arnhem: Terra Lannoo