Scargill Castle, County Durham
First screened 11 January 2009
In this section: Scargill Castle home | What they found | Q&A
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On the webMedieval castles
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/
snapshot_medieval_castles.html
The Time Team website's potted introduction to medieval castles. See also medieval moated sites: although Scargill Castle didn't have a moat, it fulfilled a similar function as a fortified medieval manor house.
The Medieval era
www.channel4.com/history/
microsites/T/timeteam/medieval.html
Tudor England
www.channel4.com/history/
microsites/T/timeteam/tudor.html
The Time Team website's extensive guide to the main periods covered in this programme.
Time traveller's guide to medieval Britain
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/
H/history/guide12/index.html
Time traveller's guide to Tudor Britain
www.channel4.com/history/microsites/
H/history/guide16/index.html
Everything the intrepid time traveller needs to explore the periods that saw the heyday of Scargill Castle.
Other websites
Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third-party sites.
Castles on the Web
www.castlesontheweb.com
An extensive resource, the Castles on the Web site includes sections on medieval studies, myths and legends, virtual tours of castles, books, photo archives and even how to rent or stay in a castle. Its weblinks to sites which themselves provide links to other castle-related websites could keep you browsing until Domesday. Castles on the Web also has a useful message/question board and a variety of discussion forums on the subject.
The English Medieval Castle
www.britannia.com/history/david1.html
Three illustrated essays on the English medieval castle provide a good basic introduction to the subject.
Build a Medieval Castle
www.yourchildlearns.com/castle.htm
Free educational software. Make your own model medieval castle – a learning activity that teaches about history, feudalism and life in the Middle Ages. Build your own medieval castle, complete with towers, gatehouse and keep, to help understand how an army laid siege to a castle, how a castle was defended or what it might have been like to live in a castle.
For links to other websites, either on archaeology generally or specific to the periods and subjects raised in the programme, see our extensive section on Archaeology websites. In particular, see the sections on the Medieval era and Tudor England.
Further reading
The Medieval Castle in England and Wales by Norman Pounds (Cambridge University Press, 1994) £18.95
'There are a lot of books around on castles but this is the best one for telling you what they're all about. I get tired of looking at plans and pictures without knowing the social and economic background to why castles were built and how they operated. This definitely fills that gap! The best book of all on the subject' – Mick Aston
English Manor Houses by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd and Christopher Simon Sykes (Laurence King Publishing, 2001) hardback £40
This coffee-table book focuses on the manor houses of England. These smaller scale houses, often of more ancient origin than the 'great houses', are scattered all over the country, ranging from simple Norman halls to picturesque Tudor manor houses and handsome buildings from the reign of the Stuarts. Whereas most of the great houses have now been sold by their original owners and are maintained as museums, many of the manor houses are still privately owned and lived in as homes.
Life in the English Country House: A social and architectural history by Mark Girouard (Yale University Press, 1993, 2nd edition) paperback £16.95
Classic introductory book on the architecture, use, and evolution of English country houses from the medieval period to the Second World War. Although not an archaeological text it provides a good background on the way house plans, facades etc reflect the original purpose of the building and social standing and expectations of the builder.
The English House by James Chambers (Thames Methuen, 1985) hardback £14.95
Tells the story of the English house in all its richness and diversity, from the earliest medieval dwellings to the 20th century. Includes a good introductory chapter on Tudor country houses.
The Archaeology of Buildings by Richard K Morriss (Tempus, 2000) £11.19
A highly useful introduction to building materials and construction techniques. Find out about the techniques used in standing buildings' recording and discover how to recognise different phases of construction in ancient buildings.