Dr Rachel Swallow, FSA
University of Chester, History and Archaeology, Department Member
- University of Chester, History & Archaeology, Faculty Memberadd
- Landscape History, Landscape Archaeology, Anglo-Saxon settlement patterns (Archaeology), Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Castle Studies, Medieval History, and 31 moreArchaeology of Religion, Place-Names, Motte and Bailey Earthworks, History (Archaeology), History of Cheshire, Spatial Analysis, Castles, Medieval Church Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Welsh History, Archaeology, Public Archaeology, Historical Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, Earl Leofric of Mercia, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Cartography, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Archaeological GIS, Domesday Book, Geographically-Integrated History, Archaeology of salt, Early medieval Britain (Archaeology), History, Phenomenology of Space and Place, Archaeology Motte and Baileys, Medieval Studies, Material Culture Studies, Identity, Urbanism, and Heritage Studiesedit
- Focusing on interdisciplinary and cross-period research into British fortifications and their landscapes, I have a pa... moreFocusing on interdisciplinary and cross-period research into British fortifications and their landscapes, I have a particular interest in medieval Cheshire, Wales and the Irish Sea Region. Having been a Visiting Lecturer in the History & Archaeology Department at the University of Chester for almost two decades, I am now a Visiting Research Fellow and Guest Lectureredit
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Co-authors: McGuicken [Swallow], R. and Liddiard, R
Research Interests:
Recent and ongoing research by this author has confirmed medieval Cheshire to have been a semi-regal county held by powerful Anglo-Norman earls, with a separate identity from England (Swallow 2015). Within this context, research has been... more
Recent and ongoing research by this author has confirmed medieval Cheshire to have been a semi-regal county held by powerful Anglo-Norman earls, with a separate identity from England (Swallow 2015). Within this context, research has been undertaken into the number, location, distribution, nature, function and character of Cheshire’s castles built between c. 1069 and 1237 – beyond which date, the county reverted from the earls of Chester to the Crown. Research draws upon a number of disciplines and multiple sources of evidence. Such research has given rise to new insights into fortified élite residences within Cheshire, considered in the wider context of the Anglo-Norman world. Set within current historiographical debates, research and publication both take into account the full geographical area of medieval Cheshire hitherto insufficiently researched in either depth or breadth. The whole of medieval Cheshire has thus been considered, and its fortifications from this period have been contextualised in relation to earlier and later developments in the region. This paper aims to provide a summary of the key findings of this research to date.
Research Interests:
This paper presents a case study of the eleventh-century elite landscapes of the now non-extant Nantwich Castle and the neighbouring hundredal head manor of Acton, both manors situated within Warmundestrou Hundred, in Cheshire, north-west... more
This paper presents a case study of the eleventh-century elite landscapes of the now non-extant Nantwich Castle and the neighbouring hundredal head manor of Acton, both manors situated within Warmundestrou Hundred, in Cheshire, north-west England. It stresses that any preconceived assumptions about the direct continuity of temporal and spatial succession from a head manor of a pre-existing Anglo-Saxon estate to the site of an Anglo-Norman castle should be disregarded. Highlighting the dangers of an interpretative approach based on a myopic focus on one site for one particular period, this paper instead calls for a close examination of the wider landscape of castles and their sitings within their Domesday hundreds.
The research approach is interdisciplinary, thus examining all available architectural, cartographic, documentary, place-name, archaeological and topographical material. Initial conclusions point to a late eleventh-century paradigm shift of power from Acton to Nantwich; there is no evidence for an early-built baronial fortification at Nantwich, but there is evidence that Acton’s manorial landscape retained its elite significance without a castle build. Comparing Nantwich with the salt town of Droitwich in Worcestershire, the paper concludes that this apparent paradigm shift of power can be attributable to the semi-autonomous earls of Chester, and their freedom to control the economics of the county independently of the Crown.
This paper will contribute to future multidisciplinary research of castles and their landscapes, by demonstrating that any lack of continuity of site significance, can be experienced instead by the continuity of a zone of elite, social, political, and economic power.
The research approach is interdisciplinary, thus examining all available architectural, cartographic, documentary, place-name, archaeological and topographical material. Initial conclusions point to a late eleventh-century paradigm shift of power from Acton to Nantwich; there is no evidence for an early-built baronial fortification at Nantwich, but there is evidence that Acton’s manorial landscape retained its elite significance without a castle build. Comparing Nantwich with the salt town of Droitwich in Worcestershire, the paper concludes that this apparent paradigm shift of power can be attributable to the semi-autonomous earls of Chester, and their freedom to control the economics of the county independently of the Crown.
This paper will contribute to future multidisciplinary research of castles and their landscapes, by demonstrating that any lack of continuity of site significance, can be experienced instead by the continuity of a zone of elite, social, political, and economic power.
Research Interests:
This paper readdresses the unusual phenomenon of hilltop castle siting in England and Wales. It agrees with the general consensus that hilltop castles were intentionally symbolic of their builders’ power, rather than having an effective... more
This paper readdresses the unusual phenomenon of hilltop castle siting in England and Wales. It agrees with the general consensus that hilltop castles were intentionally symbolic of their builders’ power, rather than having an effective defensive purpose. The paper challenges the limitations of a general castellogical research approach to gaining a more complete understanding of a hilltop castle’s purpose. Generally overlooked are the strong linkages between the castle’s wider geopolitical landscape, the social power of the hilltop castle builder,and the form and siting of hilltop castles in relation to each other within relevant contemporary geographical boundaries.
The research approach is multidisciplinary, including the examination of all available architectural, cartographic, documentary, place-name, archaeological and topographical material. The case study of the medieval hilltop castles of 12th-century Buckton and 13th-century Beeston in Cheshire, north-west England, uncovers a clear physical and symbolic link between them, where their similar form and siting in the landscape were intended to enhance the significant power of the earls of Chester. Both hilltop positions were deliberately chosen to enhance their visibility from within elite hunting landscapes below.A prime purpose for Beeston’s hilltop siting was the intervisibility between the castle and its ancestral castle at Buckton. Both demarcating and overseeing Cheshire’s boundaries, the castles jointly symbolised significant inherited power within the geopolitical landscape of the county and beyond.
This paper will contribute to future multidisciplinary research of the geopolitical, social and symbolic relationships between castles, their builders and their landscapes, thus integrating the wider fields of castellology, medieval archaeology and history.
The research approach is multidisciplinary, including the examination of all available architectural, cartographic, documentary, place-name, archaeological and topographical material. The case study of the medieval hilltop castles of 12th-century Buckton and 13th-century Beeston in Cheshire, north-west England, uncovers a clear physical and symbolic link between them, where their similar form and siting in the landscape were intended to enhance the significant power of the earls of Chester. Both hilltop positions were deliberately chosen to enhance their visibility from within elite hunting landscapes below.A prime purpose for Beeston’s hilltop siting was the intervisibility between the castle and its ancestral castle at Buckton. Both demarcating and overseeing Cheshire’s boundaries, the castles jointly symbolised significant inherited power within the geopolitical landscape of the county and beyond.
This paper will contribute to future multidisciplinary research of the geopolitical, social and symbolic relationships between castles, their builders and their landscapes, thus integrating the wider fields of castellology, medieval archaeology and history.
Research Interests:
Lost and Found: A Medieval Castle at Poulton, West Cheshire?, in Cheshire History Journal, No. 56, pp. 11 - 40 In December 2015, Matthew Thomas, a first year undergraduate on the Bachelor of Arts degree programme in Archaeology at the... more
Lost and Found: A Medieval Castle at Poulton, West Cheshire?, in Cheshire History Journal, No. 56, pp. 11 - 40
In December 2015, Matthew Thomas, a first year undergraduate on the Bachelor of Arts degree programme in Archaeology at the University of Chester, identified what appears to have been a mound and related earthworks on the 1875 First Edition OS map in Poulton, west Cheshire (NGR SJ4033 5904). The mound is no longer extant; its disappearance is probably due to the creation of Poulton Airfield during the Second World War, now disused. The mound was positioned just west of the River Dee, and immediately south of the existing Pulford Approach road running between the Grosvenor estate lands at Pulford and at Eaton.
This paper provides the first known recorded mention and interpretation of the Poulton mound. Cartographic evidence indicates that the mound was positioned within the boundaries of medieval Cheshire, although this observation is not in itself sufficient to conclude that the mound must have existed during the Middle Ages. However, following joint research by these authors into the Poulton mound and its contextual historical and archaeological landscape, this paper concludes that it is highly probable that a ‘new’ castle has been discovered for medieval Cheshire.
In December 2015, Matthew Thomas, a first year undergraduate on the Bachelor of Arts degree programme in Archaeology at the University of Chester, identified what appears to have been a mound and related earthworks on the 1875 First Edition OS map in Poulton, west Cheshire (NGR SJ4033 5904). The mound is no longer extant; its disappearance is probably due to the creation of Poulton Airfield during the Second World War, now disused. The mound was positioned just west of the River Dee, and immediately south of the existing Pulford Approach road running between the Grosvenor estate lands at Pulford and at Eaton.
This paper provides the first known recorded mention and interpretation of the Poulton mound. Cartographic evidence indicates that the mound was positioned within the boundaries of medieval Cheshire, although this observation is not in itself sufficient to conclude that the mound must have existed during the Middle Ages. However, following joint research by these authors into the Poulton mound and its contextual historical and archaeological landscape, this paper concludes that it is highly probable that a ‘new’ castle has been discovered for medieval Cheshire.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Medieval Studies, Landscape Architecture, and 28 moreAnglo-Saxon Studies (History), Cultural Landscapes, Early Medieval Archaeology, Landscape History, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Wales, Place-Names, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Landscape, English Morality Plays, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Castles, Anglo-Norman Art and Archaeology, Anglo-Norman history, Castle Studies, Wales, Medieval Architecture, Castles, History of Cheshire, Place Names, Castles and Fortifications, Archaeology Motte and Baileys, Motte and Bailey Earthworks, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, Cheshire, Roman Cheshire, Anglo-Norman History and Literature, and Iron Age and Roman period in Cheshire
Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c. 1066 – c. 1237. Previous... more
Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c. 1066 – c. 1237. Previous studies have focused on individual castles within the county only, underlining the need for a multidisciplinary approach to landscape using archaeological and textual evidence to further our understanding of the Norman Conquest and the development of Norman lordship.
This paper explores the nature of rules and regulations regarding the definition of a castle, and their relationship with the archaeological record. Within this context, the paper considers Frodsham Castle, Cheshire. Believed to have been constructed by the first Earl of Chester within an administrative centre of a pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estate, the location of Frodsham’s vanished castle has proved elusive with reference to available historical sources alone.
Drawing on a reinterpretation of the available archaeological, documentary and antiquarian evidence, this paper explores the relationship between comital law and regulation and the power of place in considering the functions and role of Frodsham Castle.
This paper explores the nature of rules and regulations regarding the definition of a castle, and their relationship with the archaeological record. Within this context, the paper considers Frodsham Castle, Cheshire. Believed to have been constructed by the first Earl of Chester within an administrative centre of a pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estate, the location of Frodsham’s vanished castle has proved elusive with reference to available historical sources alone.
Drawing on a reinterpretation of the available archaeological, documentary and antiquarian evidence, this paper explores the relationship between comital law and regulation and the power of place in considering the functions and role of Frodsham Castle.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Medieval History, Landscape Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, Landscape History, and 10 moreEarly Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Fortified Settlements (Archaeology), Castles, Medieval Landscapes, History of Cheshire, Medieval castles, Castles and Fortifications, Elite Residences, and Fortified Residence
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Along the valley … of the Dee and their mountain tributaries, where they begin to open towards the English plain, mottes and ringworks succeed one another like beads on a string. There was no overall plan of defence …. They served only... more
Along the valley … of the Dee and their mountain tributaries, where they begin to open towards the English plain, mottes and ringworks succeed one another like beads on a string. There was no overall plan of defence …. They served only for local protection against an enemy who came by stealth and at night to forage and to loot … (Pounds 1990, 70)
This article examines the medieval castles of Cheshire, in North-West England, and argues that there was far more continuity in conceptions of power, place, and land tenure across the eleventh and twelfth centuries than has been previously recognized. New interpretations of existing evidence are presented, indicating that the medieval castles in the western areas of the county were strategically sited and maintained throughout the Anglo-Norman period. Probably because the River Dee largely formed the western boundary of the entire frontier county from the end of the thirteenth century (Harris 1984, 1), Anglo-Norman castles located to the west of the River Dee in medieval west Cheshire have tended to be researched separately from their counterparts to the east of the River Dee. This has had the overall effect of both diminishing the value of this important northern section of the Anglo-Welsh border — what is here termed the Irish Sea Cultural Zone — and ignoring the significant research and interpretation potential of the castles and their landscapes, in terms of their individual and group significance within medieval Cheshire. As such, the concept of the Irish Sea Cultural Zone, and its nature and extent, is proposed in this article for the first time. The evidence relating to the siting and form of the zone’s castles is analysed through a landscape history and archaeological study, which spans many disciplinary boundaries. Discussion will highlight that continuity of form from prehistoric, Roman, or Anglo-Saxon monuments to Anglo-Norman castles reflected the continuity of purpose in control over communications, as well as reflecting the continuing significance of military and social influences on the siting of the castles in west Cheshire.
This article examines the medieval castles of Cheshire, in North-West England, and argues that there was far more continuity in conceptions of power, place, and land tenure across the eleventh and twelfth centuries than has been previously recognized. New interpretations of existing evidence are presented, indicating that the medieval castles in the western areas of the county were strategically sited and maintained throughout the Anglo-Norman period. Probably because the River Dee largely formed the western boundary of the entire frontier county from the end of the thirteenth century (Harris 1984, 1), Anglo-Norman castles located to the west of the River Dee in medieval west Cheshire have tended to be researched separately from their counterparts to the east of the River Dee. This has had the overall effect of both diminishing the value of this important northern section of the Anglo-Welsh border — what is here termed the Irish Sea Cultural Zone — and ignoring the significant research and interpretation potential of the castles and their landscapes, in terms of their individual and group significance within medieval Cheshire. As such, the concept of the Irish Sea Cultural Zone, and its nature and extent, is proposed in this article for the first time. The evidence relating to the siting and form of the zone’s castles is analysed through a landscape history and archaeological study, which spans many disciplinary boundaries. Discussion will highlight that continuity of form from prehistoric, Roman, or Anglo-Saxon monuments to Anglo-Norman castles reflected the continuity of purpose in control over communications, as well as reflecting the continuing significance of military and social influences on the siting of the castles in west Cheshire.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, and 14 moreLandscape Archaeology, Medieval Studies, Cultural Landscapes, Welsh History, Medieval Wales, Early Medieval Wales (Archaeology), Landscape, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Castles, History of Cheshire, Hillforts and Enclosures, Irish Sea region, Medieval castles, and Early Medieval Wales
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Roman History, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Medieval History, Research Methodology, and 20 moreLandscape Archaeology, Medieval Studies, Landscape Architecture, Archaeological Method & Theory, Cultural Landscapes, Early Medieval Archaeology, Landscape History, Medieval Church History, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Research, Landscape, Castles, Cultural Landscape, Medieval Architecture, Castles, Medieval castles, Castles and Fortifications, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, Landscape and Land-use-history, and Roman Archaeology
Research Interests: Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Landscape Archaeology, Medieval Studies, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 10 moreMedieval Archaeology, Medieval Wales, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Medieval rural settlement, Landscape, Castles, Castle Studies, Wales, History of Cheshire, and Medieval castles
As an expression of his immense power and standing, Earl Ranulf de Blundeville, sixth Earl of Chester (1181 - 1232) granted his own Magna Carta in Cheshire. Ranulf’s subsequent building programme can be regarded as comparable... more
As an expression of his immense power and standing, Earl Ranulf de Blundeville, sixth Earl of Chester (1181 - 1232) granted his own Magna Carta in Cheshire. Ranulf’s subsequent building programme can be regarded as comparable architectural expression. This article aims to provide a fresh interpretation combining a variety of approaches, as to how Ranulf’s personal power is manifested in the medieval landscape of north-west England and North Wales. It is argued that Ranulf’s relatively overlooked and yet close relationship with Llywelyn Fawr, or Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Prince of Gwynedd (c. AD 1173 – 1240), sheds further light as to the purpose of the position of Beeston and Cricieth castles in their landscapes. This study has wider implications as to how archaeologists can discern manifestations of lordly power in the designs and landscape settings of medieval castles. While this topic has been widely discussed over the last two decades, it has been hitherto under-investigated in the north-west of England and North Wales where the dynamic allegiances between lords were key components in how power was expressed.
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Research Interests: Anglo-Saxon Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape Architecture, Settlement Patterns, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 14 moreLandscape History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Architecture, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Castles, Medieval Europe, Anglo-Norman history, women and family, monasticism, Anglo-Saxon history, Vikings, Anglo-Norman history, Arms and Armour, History of Cheshire, Medieval castles, Archaeology Motte and Baileys, Designed landscapes, Castles Studies, and Domus Fortis
Research Interests: Medieval History, Material Culture Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Public Art, Cultural Landscapes, and 13 moreLandscape History, Environmental Ethics, Medieval Archaeology, Urbanism, Landscape Theory, Identity, Landscape Design, Castle Studies, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Early Medieval Period, History of the Designed Landscape, and Enviromental Aesthetics
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Forthcoming, 2019 (Sep). (Session: Reconnecting the Interplay of Fortifications and Religious Buildings within their Landscapes: Castles, Monasteries and Churches Re-Examined), There’s Something About Mary: Marian Church Dedications and Medieval Castle Foundations in England and Wales, EAA, Bernmore
2018 (4 July). (Session: Medieval Settlement Research Group: Memory, Settlement and Landscape ): The International Medieval Congress (IMC), Leeds University
Forthcoming: To be published in full (TBA)
Forthcoming: To be published in full (TBA)
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Roman History, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Landscape Archaeology, and 31 moreMedieval Studies, Landscape Architecture, Early Christianity, Cultural Landscapes, Early Medieval Archaeology, Landscape History, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Architecture, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Landscape, Multidisciplinary, Castles, Cultural Landscape, Sacred Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Medieval Architecture, Castles, Maritime Cultural Landscapes, Medieval castles, Castles and Fortifications, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, Medival Archaeology, Mabinogion, Landscape and Land-use-history, Roman Archaeology, Castles; Medieval Architecture;, MEDIEVAL CASTLES & TOWERS, Multiperiod, Macsen Wledig, Elen of the Ways, Eleanor de Castile, and Caernarfon
(Session: Medieval Settlement Research Group: ‘Memory, Settlement and Landscape’), The International Medieval Congress (IMC), Leeds University
Space and Settlement in the Middle Ages Conference, Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute, Trinity College Dublin
Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Border Studies, Anglo-Saxon Studies (History), Prehistory, and 11 moreAnglo-Saxon archaeology, Castles, Borders and Frontiers, Anglo-Norman history, Irish Sea region, Medieval castles, Medieval assembly sites, thing sites, medieval administrative landscape, Castles and Fortifications, Early Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, and Anglo-Welsh and Anglo-Scottish borders
Research Interests: Archaeology, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape Architecture, Landscape History, and 16 moreCultural Landscapes, Early Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Landscape, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Castles, Cultural Landscape, Anglo-Norman history, Medieval Architecture, Castles, History of Cheshire, Medieval castles, Castles and Fortifications, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, Cheshire, Landscape and Land-use-history, and Elite Residences
Research Interests: Anglo-Saxon Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Border Studies, Landscape History, Historic Landscapes, and 11 moreCastles, Anglo-Norman history, History of Cheshire, Irish Sea region, Medieval castles, Castles and Fortifications, Borders and Borderlands, Historical Landscape, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, Cheshire, and Anglo-Welsh and Anglo-Scottish borders
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Research Interests: Prehistoric Archaeology, Medieval History, Anglo-Saxon Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 13 moreEarly Medieval History, Medieval Archaeology, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Landscape, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Castles, History of Cheshire, Hillforts and Enclosures, Irish Sea region, Cheshire, Landscape and Land-use-history, Roman Archaeology, and Anglo-Welsh and Anglo-Scottish borders
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Research Interests:
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Research Interests: Medieval History, Landscape Archaeology, Medieval Studies, Early Medieval Archaeology, Landscape History, and 10 moreMedieval Archaeology, Anglo-Saxon archaeology, Castles, History of Cheshire, Anglo-Saxon history, Place Names, Medieval castles, Medieval Castles and Fortresses, Cheshire, and Landscape and Land-use-history
For the last 35 years, the medieval castles has been the subject of inter-disciplinary research, which has promoted considerations for a symbolic, iconographic or aesthetic purpose for building a castle. Taking a predominantly historical... more
For the last 35 years, the medieval castles has been the subject of inter-disciplinary research, which has promoted considerations for a symbolic, iconographic or aesthetic purpose for building a castle. Taking a predominantly historical approach, however, this paper outlines the evidence for the martial and strategic role of Cheshire's castles during and immediately following the Anglo-Norman period until the early thirteenth century. In doing so, it is argued that a military approach to the study of castles cannot be overlooked, being fundamental to our understanding of Cheshire as a border of medieval conflict.
"Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current and innovative research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c.1066 – c.... more
"Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current and innovative research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c.1066 – c. 1237. Predominantly historiographical in approach, previous studies into individual castles within the county underlines the need for a multidisciplinary approach to landscape using archaeological and textual evidence to further our understanding of Norman lordship and the Norman Conquest in general terms. The examination of how builders’ personal power played a part in the choice of castle locations is one aspect of such a study, as well the extent to which those locations were influenced by builders’ desires to appropriate pre-Norman power centres and ancient locales in the landscape.
This paper considers Frodsham Castle in Cheshire within this area of enquiry: Believed to have been constructed by the first Earl of Chester within an administrative centre of a pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estate, the location of Frodsham’s vanished castle has proved elusive with reference to available historical sources alone. A landscape archaeological and interdisciplinary research approach not only points to the castle’s original location, but also widens the debate concerning the pre-existing symbolic significance of the landscape within which it was sited, as well as what is meant by the term ‘castle’.
Based on new and re-interpreted archaeological, antiquarian and documentary evidence for Frodsham Castle in Cheshire, this paper aims to illuminate this little-examined region of medieval Britain through the concept of power of place.
"
This paper considers Frodsham Castle in Cheshire within this area of enquiry: Believed to have been constructed by the first Earl of Chester within an administrative centre of a pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estate, the location of Frodsham’s vanished castle has proved elusive with reference to available historical sources alone. A landscape archaeological and interdisciplinary research approach not only points to the castle’s original location, but also widens the debate concerning the pre-existing symbolic significance of the landscape within which it was sited, as well as what is meant by the term ‘castle’.
Based on new and re-interpreted archaeological, antiquarian and documentary evidence for Frodsham Castle in Cheshire, this paper aims to illuminate this little-examined region of medieval Britain through the concept of power of place.
"
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Archaeology, Medieval History, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape History, Early Medieval Archaeology, and 9 moreLandscape History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Wales, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Early Medieval Wales (Archaeology), Gender Archaeology, Castles, History of Cheshire, and Regional Archaeology of Wales and the Marches
Research Interests: Medieval History, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape Architecture, Early Medieval Archaeology, Landscape History, and 8 moreWelsh History, Medieval Archaeology, Medieval Wales, Early Medieval And Medieval Settlement (Archaeology), Early Medieval Wales (Archaeology), History of Cheshire, Medieval castles, and Castles and Fortifications
"Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current and innovative research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c.1066 – c.... more
"Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current and innovative research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c.1066 – c. 1237. Predominantly historiographical in approach, previous studies into individual castles within the county underlines the need for a multidisciplinary approach to landscape using archaeological and textual evidence to further our understanding of Norman lordship and the Norman Conquest in general terms. The examination of how builders’ personal power played a part in the choice of castle locations is one aspect of such a study, as well the extent to which those locations were influenced by builders’ desires to appropriate pre-Norman power centres and ancient locales in the landscape.
This paper considers Frodsham castle in Cheshire within this area of enquiry: Believed to have been constructed by the first Earl of Chester within an administrative centre of a pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estate, the location of Frodsham’s vanished castle has proved elusive with reference to available historical sources alone. A landscape archaeological and interdisciplinary research approach not only points to the castle’s original location, but also widens the debate concerning the pre-existing symbolic significance of the landscape within which it was sited, as well as what is meant by the term ‘castle’.
Based on new and re-interpreted evidence at Frodsham castle in Cheshire, this paper aims to illuminate this little-examined region of early medieval Britain through the concept of power of place.
"
This paper considers Frodsham castle in Cheshire within this area of enquiry: Believed to have been constructed by the first Earl of Chester within an administrative centre of a pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estate, the location of Frodsham’s vanished castle has proved elusive with reference to available historical sources alone. A landscape archaeological and interdisciplinary research approach not only points to the castle’s original location, but also widens the debate concerning the pre-existing symbolic significance of the landscape within which it was sited, as well as what is meant by the term ‘castle’.
Based on new and re-interpreted evidence at Frodsham castle in Cheshire, this paper aims to illuminate this little-examined region of early medieval Britain through the concept of power of place.
"
Research Interests:
PLEASE NOTE: This paper has been expanded upon and published: Swallow, R. 2014. ‘Gateways to Power: The Castles of Ranulf III of Chester and Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd’ in Archaeological Journal, Vol. 171, 291 – 314. PAPER ABSTRACT:... more
PLEASE NOTE: This paper has been expanded upon and published: Swallow, R. 2014. ‘Gateways to Power: The Castles of Ranulf III of Chester and Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd’ in Archaeological Journal, Vol. 171, 291 – 314.
PAPER ABSTRACT: "The Great Magna Carta agreed between King John and his barons at Runnymede in 1215 did not apply to Cheshire. Instead, Earl Ranulf de Blundeville, sixth Earl of Chester, granted his own Magna of Carta of Cheshire. Second only to King John in terms of landed wealth at that time, Earl Ranulf’s charter of was not just an important statement of rights for his separate feudal domain in the northwest of England; it was symbolic of the earl’s ‘princely’ aspirations and outstanding personal power throughout England.
Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to landscape using archaeological and textual evidence, this paper explores the archaeological record as a manifestation of Earl Ranulf de Blundeville’s significant personal power in the early thirteenth century. Looking afresh at the significance of the Magna Charter of Cheshire to explain actions and power of place, the paper argues for a re-examination of the influence of Ranulf’s influence on castle building throughout both England and Wales.
"
PAPER ABSTRACT: "The Great Magna Carta agreed between King John and his barons at Runnymede in 1215 did not apply to Cheshire. Instead, Earl Ranulf de Blundeville, sixth Earl of Chester, granted his own Magna of Carta of Cheshire. Second only to King John in terms of landed wealth at that time, Earl Ranulf’s charter of was not just an important statement of rights for his separate feudal domain in the northwest of England; it was symbolic of the earl’s ‘princely’ aspirations and outstanding personal power throughout England.
Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to landscape using archaeological and textual evidence, this paper explores the archaeological record as a manifestation of Earl Ranulf de Blundeville’s significant personal power in the early thirteenth century. Looking afresh at the significance of the Magna Charter of Cheshire to explain actions and power of place, the paper argues for a re-examination of the influence of Ranulf’s influence on castle building throughout both England and Wales.
"
Research Interests:
"Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current and innovative research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c.1066 – c.... more
"Power of place and the dynamics of landscape manipulation are the focus of current and innovative research into the number, location and distribution of castles raised in Cheshire in the period of the Earldom of Chester, c.1066 – c. 1237. Predominantly historiographical in approach, previous studies into individual castles within the county underlines the need for an holistic, multidisciplinary research method to further our understanding of Norman lordship and the Norman Conquest in general terms. The examination of how builders’ personal power played a part in the choice of castle locations is one aspect of such a study, as well the extent to which those locations were influenced by builders’ desires to appropriate pre-Norman power centres and ancient locales in the landscape.
This paper considers Nantwich castle in Cheshire within this area of enquiry: While a number of Cheshire’s castles were constructed at administrative centres of pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estates, the 11th century castle built at Nantwich in south west Cheshire appears to be one of the exceptions. The new Norman baron, William de Malbanc, apparently ignored the pre-existing symbolic significance of the neighbouring township of Acton, thus shifting the power focus.
While this paper highlights the importance of establishing power of place for each castle, equally it stresses the need for context in terms of the castle’s strategic role, as well as the builder’s overall distribution of landed holdings within and without Cheshire.
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This paper considers Nantwich castle in Cheshire within this area of enquiry: While a number of Cheshire’s castles were constructed at administrative centres of pre-existing and substantial Anglo-Saxon estates, the 11th century castle built at Nantwich in south west Cheshire appears to be one of the exceptions. The new Norman baron, William de Malbanc, apparently ignored the pre-existing symbolic significance of the neighbouring township of Acton, thus shifting the power focus.
While this paper highlights the importance of establishing power of place for each castle, equally it stresses the need for context in terms of the castle’s strategic role, as well as the builder’s overall distribution of landed holdings within and without Cheshire.
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Research Interests:
"This paper introduces innovative research, which is undergoing more extensive landscape archaeological study. It highlights that only when the spatial arrangements for Mercian and Anglo-Norman landscapes are fully explored through wider... more
"This paper introduces innovative research, which is undergoing more extensive landscape archaeological study. It highlights that only when the spatial arrangements for Mercian and Anglo-Norman landscapes are fully explored through wider multi-disciplinary research, can a valid explanation be provided for the siting of Cheshire’s castles in the landscape. Thus, a closer examination of hundreds with Mercian palaces and halls and later castle sites is necessary, where their interplay with the religious holdings, both on a parochial and bishopric level, needs to be understood. This interplay is highlighted by King Edgar the Peaceable’s 973 parade along the river Dee, where the final approach to Chester from Farndon would have provided the king, crew and entourage with the striking and poignant display of power and place, when St John’s, St Werburgh’s (now the Cathedral) and AEthelflaeda’s then recently built burh (now the site of Chester castle) all came into simultaneous view as a collaborative statement of King Edgar’s power.
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Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Border Studies, and 11 moreMedieval Studies, Early Medieval Archaeology, Place-Names, Place Names (Cultural Geography), Medieval England, Early Medieval Wales (Archaeology), Medieval Landscapes, Gerald of Wales, Irish Sea region, Borders and Borderlands, and Critical edition of medieval documents
Castles and fortified residences are too often researched separately from their associated religious holdings: monasteries, abbeys, churches, hospital foundations, monuments such as stone crosses, and landholdings. Rarely do we find a... more
Castles and fortified residences are too often researched separately from their associated religious holdings: monasteries, abbeys, churches, hospital foundations, monuments such as stone crosses, and landholdings. Rarely do we find a full examination of the interplay of the social, political, commercial, architectural and symbolic influences between the generally inter-dependent powers of the secular and religious within their settlements and landscapes.
Pushing beyond the paradigms established by previous research, this session aims to explore the contemporary relevance, or otherwise, of fortifications and their associated religious buildings. Only by examining the wider context of landscape, archaeological, architectural, historical and place-name evidence, can the joint secular and religious powers be hoped to be fully understood within their administrative and political landscapes. It is recognised that such secular-religious configurations in the landscape, and their resultant interpretations, will not be the same in all European countries; this is therefore a further and fundamental premise for collaborative research and discussion.
This session aims to provide a valuable contribution to future multidisciplinary research, where the re-connection of the contemporary significance of fortified and religious landscapes is examined. Papers are invited, of case studies which take multi-disciplinary, multi-period and methodological approaches. The intention is to provide a platform for on-going discussion, that
• explores research approaches and discoveries focusing on fortified and religious communities
• debates issues relating to the preservation and restoration of monuments or landscape features relevant to the theme of this session
• encourages debate on the similarities and differences of secular and religious communities between countries
Main Author: Dr. Markus C. Blaich: Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, Hannover
Corresponding Author: Dr. Rachel E. Swallow, FSA: Visiting Research Fellow, University of Chester
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS ONLINE (DEADLINE: 14 FEBRUARY 2019): https://submissions.e-a-a.org/eaa2019/
PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS NEED TO BE CURRENT (2019) EAA MEMBERS AND REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE ONLINE.
Pushing beyond the paradigms established by previous research, this session aims to explore the contemporary relevance, or otherwise, of fortifications and their associated religious buildings. Only by examining the wider context of landscape, archaeological, architectural, historical and place-name evidence, can the joint secular and religious powers be hoped to be fully understood within their administrative and political landscapes. It is recognised that such secular-religious configurations in the landscape, and their resultant interpretations, will not be the same in all European countries; this is therefore a further and fundamental premise for collaborative research and discussion.
This session aims to provide a valuable contribution to future multidisciplinary research, where the re-connection of the contemporary significance of fortified and religious landscapes is examined. Papers are invited, of case studies which take multi-disciplinary, multi-period and methodological approaches. The intention is to provide a platform for on-going discussion, that
• explores research approaches and discoveries focusing on fortified and religious communities
• debates issues relating to the preservation and restoration of monuments or landscape features relevant to the theme of this session
• encourages debate on the similarities and differences of secular and religious communities between countries
Main Author: Dr. Markus C. Blaich: Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, Hannover
Corresponding Author: Dr. Rachel E. Swallow, FSA: Visiting Research Fellow, University of Chester
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS ONLINE (DEADLINE: 14 FEBRUARY 2019): https://submissions.e-a-a.org/eaa2019/
PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT ALL PARTICIPANTS NEED TO BE CURRENT (2019) EAA MEMBERS AND REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE ONLINE.
