Christchurch Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Twineham; Twynham; Twynam; Twinamburne

In the civil parish of Christchurch.
In the historic county of Hampshire (Modern Authority of Dorset, 1974 county of Dorset).

Consists of two ruined buildings: the keep on the motte and the Constable's House on the bank of the mill stream, the latter should be on the itinerary of everyone with an interest in the Norman period as it is a superb example of Norman domestic architecture. The first castle would probably have had wooden buildings and a timber palisade, for there is no evidence of any masonry earlier than c.1160 and the earliest documentary evidence indicates that there was definitely a castle here in the 1130s. Could have been built in 1100/01 to counter the expected invasion by Robert, Duke of Normandy. The castle was besieged and captured by Walter de Pinkney in 1148. Subsequently, although re-fortified, it became a residence and played little strategic role in later conflicts. Despite playing little part in the Civil War, the castle was ordered to be demolished by Parliament in 1651, when its defences were levelled.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 101451)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SZ159926

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 458553

• Web site links
  • http://www.communigate.co.uk/dorset/clhs/page11.phtml
    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conProperty.246
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p15
    Pomeroy, Colin, 1998, Discover Dorset Castles and Forts (Dovecote Press)p12-15
    Wilton, Phil,1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p84-5
    Barron, W.G., 1985, The Castles of Hampshire and Isle of Wight (Paul Cave) p20-1
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p190
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p209
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Williams-Freeman, J.P.,1915, An Introduction to Field Archaeology as Illustrated by Hampshire (London)
    Page, Wm (ed), 1912, VCH Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Vol5 p88-90
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p202-4
    Clark, G.T., 1884, Medieval Military Architecture in England  (Wyman and Sons) Vol1 p385-392
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1851, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol1 p38-9 [hall only]
    Ferrey, 1834, Ant. Priory of Carisbrooke (London) p93-6
    Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol2 p180-2
• Journal Articles
  • Guy, Neil, 2005-6, 'Christchurch Castle' Castle Studies Group Journal Vol 19 p201-4
    Hughes, Michael, 1989, 'Hampshire Castles and the Landscape 1066-1216' Landscape History Vol2 p27-60
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p312
    Jarvis, K.,1983, ‘Christchurch' Current Archaeology 8.6 p185-8
    Davies, S.M., 1983, ‘Excavations at Christchurch, Dorset, 1981 to 1983' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol105 p21-56
    Rigold, S.E., 1966, 'Christchurch Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol123 p204-5
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Clark, G.T., 1877, The Builder Vol35 p652-4 [reprinted MMA]
• Guidebooks
  • Wood, 1956, (HMSO)
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/wilshireeng.html#hants2]