Codnor Castle, Derbyshire
First screened 6 January 2008

What they found

By far the most spectacular find during Time Team’s three days at Codnor Castle was the Henry V gold noble coin discovered by Sandiacre stationery salesman Jonathan Smith, a metal detectorist who was recruited to check the spoil from excavations on the site.

But far more important in archaeological terms was what the Team discovered about the history of the castle itself. It had been feared that centuries of mining on the site might have stripped away much of the archaeology, but in fact a great deal remained, much of it well preserved and only a short distance beneath the surface.

The excavations revealed the foundations and other remains of not just one castle but three separate phases of construction at different periods. Codnor, it transpired, had been partially dismantled and rebuilt to strengthen its defences on at least three occasions, and Time Team was able to uncover evidence from each phase.

One discovery of particular interest from the early castle, where Henry de Grey and his wife Isolde entertained Edward I, was the castle drawbridge – a large feature spanning a moat that was around 6.5 metres wide and three metres deep. The Team also reassessed what had been thought to be a three-storey chamber building at the heart of the site. Castles expert Richard Morris concluded that the absence of joists above first-floor level in this structure suggested that it was in fact the site of the castle's 13th-century great hall.

Other excavations revealed that the castle was substantially rebuilt in the early 14th century with towers and turrets on the perimeter walls, possibly for Edward II's visit in 1322. In the 15th century, it was extended into the lower court. And finally, in the 16th century, the Zouches' extravagant plans eventually bankrupted the estate, forced its sale and left the castle a ruin.

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