Corfe Siege Work; The Rings

In the civil parish of Corfe Castle.
In the historic county of Dorset (Modern Authority of Dorset, 1974 county of Dorset).

Ring and bailey earthworks situated 320yds south south west of Corfe Castle. Thought to be a siege castle of 1139 built by Stephen in an unsuccessful attempt to take Corfe castle. Traditionally described as the position of a battery in the civil war.

This site has been described as a;
Siege Work.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SY956820

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 456823

Web site links

http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/195/corfesiegecastle.htm

Books

Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of Wessex (Malvern) p16
Pomeroy, Colin, 1998, Discover Dorset Castles and Forts (Dovecote Press) p21
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p64
Wilton, Phil,1995, Castles of Dorset (Wimborne)
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p127
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
RCHME, 1970, An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Vol2: south-east (HMSO) p96-8 plate 91
Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p138

Journal Articles

King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127
Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol33 p106-12 [listed as seigework]
Simpson, W.Douglas , 1951, 'Development of Corfe Castle' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol73 p84
1927, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society Vol48 p.xlix [slight]

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