Bottreaux Castle is one of 40 scheduled monuments across Cornwall being investigated by the ‘Monumental Improvement Project’, set up by Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Historic England and Cornwall Council with the aim of ensuring “that 40 Scheduled Monuments in the Cornwall AONB will be better identified, supported and enjoyed by a wide range of communities and visitors”. As part of the project a geophysical survey was carried out at the Castle site last year by Southwest Archaeology.
Motte and bailey castles are medieval fortifications of Norman origin. The motte and bailey castle at Boscastle survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, development, function, social, political, economic and territorial significance, abandonment, and overall landscape context.
The Castle was the principal residence of the Bottreaux family, one of the most important in medieval Cornwall, who settled here in the reign of Henry II (1154-1189). The last direct line of the family holding the manor died in 1462 and it was probably de-castellated sometime after that.
No definitive evidence of a castle wall or structure on top of the motte was found. It is likely that the castle was south of the site, perhaps in the location of the adjacent property on the outside corner of Dunn Street. This property is on high ground and does not conform to the terraced properties running down the slope of Fore Street and Dunn Street.
Just beyond the break of the slope of the top plateaux, on its east side was a visible patch of stonework seemingly running out from the southern site boundary. This approximately corresponded to disturbed or made ground in the south-east of the site. This could be associated with former walls at the edge of the motte or a retaining construction within it, while the aspects of disturbed or made ground accumulated beside the southern boundary may infill ditch/boundary type features.
On the eastern slope of the site findings could approximately mirror the extant ridge type boundary halfway down the slope on the west side of the site. The lower crescent-shaped plateau was probably a planned terrace and platform. Possible wall segments may survive on the east side of the top plateaux indicative of a retaining or boundary wall.
For more information, see https://www.forraburyminsterparishcouncil.org.uk/bottreaux-castle-site/
