Oakham Castle: A Unique Community Archaeological Project
Date: Wed, 30th Oct 2019, 19:00 - 21:00
Venue: Melton Carnegie Museum
All welcome – Admission £5.
Doors open 7.00 pm – Talk begins 7.30 pm.
Limited places available – please book early to avoid disappointment.
Telephone 0116 305 3860 or meltonmuseum@leics.gov.uk to reserve seats.
The original motte-and-bailey castle was probably established in 1075 by William the Conqueror. Once a
major fortified administration centre, today little remains of the original castle above ground. All that survives
above ground are the remains of the 11th-century motte and inner bailey, the late 12th-century hall, parts of
the 13th-century stone curtain wall, and the outer bailey known as Cutts Close. All of the rest has been lost. In
2018 a community dig set out to investigate the castle site and uncover Oakham Castle's hidden history. This
year a crew of volunteers, working under Site Director Mathew Morris, returned to Oakham to continue the
work and expand our understanding of a unique archaeological site that has dominated the town of Oakham
for nigh-on a thousand years. Come along and see what this year's excavations have revealed.
