Abinger Castle facts for kids
Abinger Castle was a type of early castle called a motte and bailey. This means it had a large earth mound (the motte) with a wooden tower on top. Next to it was a walled area (the bailey) where people lived and worked. This castle was found in Abinger Common, a village in Surrey, England. It's located between the towns of Guildford and Dorking.
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History of Abinger Castle
Abinger Castle was built around the year 1100 by a person named William Fitz-Ansculf. It was first made entirely of wood. The castle was rebuilt in 1140, likely to make it stronger or repair damage. It lasted a bit longer than many other castles of its kind, staying in use until about 1153.
What's Around Abinger Castle?
The Abinger Manor House
The Abinger Manor is a large, old house located just south of where the castle mound is. A manor house is a historic country house that was once the main residence of a lord or wealthy landowner. This manor was mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey of England from 1086. It was listed as land belonging to William fitz Ansculf, the same person who built the castle. The current house was rebuilt in 1872, using some older parts and a new design by a famous architect named Alfred Waterhouse.
St James' Church
St James' Church is a very old church that was first built in the 1100s. It stands to the east of the castle mound. Some of the oldest parts of the church, like its main area and a small chapel, were rebuilt around 1220. The church was damaged during World War II but was fixed up in 1950. It is now a protected historic building.
Ancient Mesolithic Site
Near the castle mound, archaeologists found the remains of a very old Mesolithic pit-dwelling. This is like an ancient hut dug partly into the ground. It's one of the oldest and best-preserved human homes ever found in Britain! This site is also special because it has many small, sharp stone tools called microliths. These tools were used by people living thousands of years ago. This area is now a protected historical site.
Digging Up the Past: Excavation
Between 1947 and 1949, an archaeologist named Brian Hope-Taylor led digs at Abinger Castle. These digs helped us learn a lot about how the castle was built. They found postholes, which are holes in the ground where wooden posts once stood. These showed where a wooden tower and a bridge connecting the motte to the bailey used to be. They also found evidence of a wooden fence, called a palisade, that surrounded the castle. The central mound of the castle is still there today and is thought to be about the same height as it was originally. It is also a scheduled monument, meaning it's protected by law.
