Hadleigh Castle: Earthwork Analysis

The executive summary of the report is as follows.

“Hadleigh Castle is an enclosure castle in south Essex overlooking Canvey Island and the Thames Estuary. Originally built by Hubert de Burgh sometime between 1215 and 1239 it was taken into royal hands and was redeveloped by Edward III in the 1360s. It was sold in 1551 and most of the internal buildings seem to have been systematically demolished soon afterwards.

This project consisted of analytical field survey of the castle’s earthworks and its immediate environs, combined with new historical research and a broader landscape contextualization. This work has led to a better definition of the extent of the castle earthworks and an improved understanding of their chronological and functional development which has suggested that the role of Edward II may have been overshadowed by Edward III’s later redevelopments. It is also argued that there are earthwork remains of probable gardens on the south side of the castle that may date from its original construction. The wider landscape survey has identified the probable site of the castle mill, reinterpreted the currently accepted mill site as a fish pond and discussed the location of the park. It has also been possible to demonstrate that features to the east are of recent origin.”

The complete report is available as a PDF document below.