The Man Who Bought A Castle
Alderton, Northants
14 January 2001
Finds and photo gallery

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Alderton village from the air. The castle is concealed by the trees.

Watling Street, about one mile from the castle, which stands on the high ground between this and another road running parallel to it, dominating the surrounding area.

Trench 1, in the castle moat, was found to have been regularly cleared, yielding virtually nothing by way of finds.

Trench 2 was literally a cliffhanger

'Mick the Dig' Worthington had to rig up climbing ropes and harness to enable him to excavate the castle ramparts safely.

Trench 3, in the interior of the castle, was described as a 'grubby hole' by Tony until Katie Hirst (pictured) pointed out that the different earth colouring to the right marked a rubbish pit. 'A grubby hole with a pit in it then,' said Tony.

The archaeology in the interior of the castle proved very complicated. The trench focused on a platform within the castle on which there would almost certainly have been a large wooden building. But only a couple of small post holes and one large timber slot were found. It is thought that others, which would have held the main support timbers for the building, must be buried under the unexcavated section of the interior.

Large timber slot

Digging up the garden of a house adjoining the castle, with Time Team regular Dr Jenni Butterworth

Time Team regular Dr Jenni Butterworth modelling the latest style in archaeologists' headgear.

The garden trench revealed a ditch (visible as the curving line of different coloured earth in this picture), which surrounded an extension to the Norman castle. When the sewer pipe seen here was laid a number of bones were uncovered, leading to speculation that it might have been a burial ground. In fact, they were most likely animal bones, of which Time Team found large quantities, dumped in the ditch when the castle extension was abandoned.

Cleaning pottery finds with toothbrushes as Tony and Mick explain what they are to local children.

Pottery finds on the site covered a period from around 200BC to the early 15th century.

Time Team Club members, winners of the Club's regular competitions to join a Time Team dig, help Phil with the hole he seems to have dug for himself.

Victor's drawing of the horse that might have worn the harness buckle

Victor's drawing of the castle gateway

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