º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle

Archaeologists from the University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ have been working on a major project to recover and promote º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle, a key element of the city’s forgotten medieval heritage, and investigating how we can use archaeology to help regenerate the city of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½.

A CGI reconstruction of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle.

Our archaeologists have been at the heart of a major project to highlight the significance of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle - both in the past and in the present. They have reconstructed the story of its origins and development, and have demonstrated the impact of its ‘afterlife’ on the urban fabric of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½. They have given º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ a deep history. But that is only the beginning! Our understanding of the archaeology of the castle site is central to efforts to regenerate Castlegate - once the heart of the city.

Our Research

Screenshot of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle Film

Watch: º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle: Excavating the Past; Building the Future

A brand new film exploring the Castlegate project, what it means for our conception of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½'s heritage, and how the project is using archaeology to regenerate the Castlegate area of the city

Featuring a panel discussion about the project from Festival of the Mind 2020

º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle: Excavating the Past; Building the Future

º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle Book Cover

Now Available: º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle: Archaeology, Archives, Regeneration, 1927-2018

In º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle: Archaeology, Archives, Regeneration, 1927-2018, written by Professor John Moreland, Professor Dawn Hadley from the University of York, and Ashley Tuck and Mili Rajic from Wessex Archaeology, the castle’s impressive history is brought to light for the first time and is placed alongside some of Britain’s greatest castles.

º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle: Archaeology, Archives, Regeneration, 1927-2018

Uncovering º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½'s castle

Professor John Moreland of the Department of Archaelogy overlooks the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle excavation site.

Watch: A groundbreaking moment

Professor John Moreland from º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ introduces Wessex Archaeology’s new excavations on the site of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle, along with the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ archaeology students digging there.

Video: º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle dig

An augmented reality reconstruction of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle shows computer-generated figures and horses crossing a drawbridge to the castle.

Watch: Archaeology and augmented reality

Working from previously unexplored archives and making use of exciting new technologies, our Department of Archaeology and our School of Architecture are digging into º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½â€™s hidden history to bring this incredible hidden fortress back to life.

Video: Rebuilding º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle

Read more

A computer screen shows a CGI visual reconstruction of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle.

The story so far

The Department of Archaeology at the University of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ is working on a major project to recover and promote º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle: a key element of the city’s forgotten medieval heritage.

The history of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle

A computer screen shows a CGI visual reconstruction of º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle.

Bringing the castle to life

In another facet of this interdisciplinary project, the castle has been brought to life in a unique augmented reality experience, believed to be the most accurate visual impression of the castle ever produced.

Our work with the National Videogame Museum

A group photograph of the team taking part in the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Castle excavation.

Student stories

Four undergraduate students have taken part in five-week placements on the excavations, each gaining valuable experience of working both on a commercial archaeological project and a community heritage initiative.

Read their placement stories

See also