| Clough Castle | |
|---|---|
%2C_October_2009.JPG) Clough Castle in October 2009 | |
| Location | Clough, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Coordinates | 54°17′32″N 5°50′12″W / 54.29222°N 5.83667°W |
| Built | 11th century |
| Rebuilt | 15th century |
| Architect | John de Courcy |
  Location of Clough Castle in Northern Ireland | |
Clough Castle is a 12th century Anglo-Norman motte-and-bailey castle located in Clough, County Down, Northern Ireland. It consists of a ruined tower house situated on a 7.6 metres (25 ft) high motte. A small crescent-shaped bailey lies next to the south-east of the motte, separated by a 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in) deep ditch.[1][2]
History
[edit]Clough Castle was constructed during the 12th century by John de Courcy. At this time the motte was defended by a relatively soft and flammable timber palisade of posts under 10cm in diameter, which may have been covered with clay for added strength.[3] Behind the palisade, there were three pits for archers to stand in, with rough loopholes framed by boulders.[3] In the mid-13th century, a stone hall was built within the palisade, and seems to have burnt down almost immediately.[3] A stone keep was then built, and the palisade was replaced by an earth bank.[3] The castle may have been abandoned during the early 14th century before the keep was rebuilt as a tower house in the 15th or 16th centuries.[1][3]
The motte was almost completely excavated under Dudley Waterman in 1951–52, revealing the early phases of the site's occupation.[4][3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Clough Castle". Castles.nl. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "Clough Castle". Megalithic Ireland. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Higham, Robert (1995). Timber Castles. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books. pp. 318–320.
- ^ "Clough Castle". Discover Northern Ireland. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
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