We’re excited to announce that the Castle’s Archaeological Tours are commencing for this season 2022. It really feels like spring is here now and we’re getting ready to welcome even more visitors to Ludlow Castle over the coming months.
Our resident archaeologist Leon will be leading public tours within the castle during the tourist season from 9th April 2022 until October 2022. Tours will be on every Saturday between 12.00pm – 4.00pm (and also within the week, upon request). Private tours are now being booked in for public groups, schools, and historic and archaeological interest groups.
“This year we are picking up where we left off and as the Resident Archaeologist, I am really looking forward to engaging with the public and leading tours around this fabulous Norman Castle. As the visitors start to enjoy the summer months it will be a pleasure to get back integrating with them and showing all the archaeological finds that have come out of the trenches last season.”
Leon will also be putting on various talks on the town’s archaeology from this year’s archaeological excavations and revealing some of the finds from the trenches.
Brand New Archaeological Display from Ludlow Excavations
Each year brings in new archaeological finds from the excavations in the trenches and this year there have been some really interesting finds coming to light during the post excavation work in Ludlow Museum lab.
Leon has been busy carrying out archaeological excavations across the historic core of the town and we’re thrilled that we’re now able to reveal these finds to the public here at Ludlow Castle, as well as demonstrating their use. You can find these displays in the Castle’s very own Archaeological section located in the upstairs gallery of the ticket office. This display is open to the public 7 days a week and at weekends Leon will be on hand to show visitors some of the more interesting finds from recent excavations.
Some of the Finds…
There is a whole array of finds, from everyday medieval life in Ludlow, to the more unusual.
After the excavation process, the finds from the field are cleaned, sorted, recorded, and then analysed back in the museum lab. They are then recorded in context from the site where they were found and excavated. This all helps us to build a picture of what medieval life was like in the town, including local trades, culture and way of life in Ludlow.
Everyday domestic items on display including pottery, buttons and pipes
French Medieval Crossbow bolt (14th Century)
This medieval crossbow bolt, possibly dating from around 1400, was found south of the town and near the river Teme. The spike at on the left would have attached itself to the wooden shaft and the main tip of the bolt was on the right and thicker to form a point of impact.
Like musket balls, there also are various size and weights for the bolts, depending on what the use was. This example is very heavy and thick but the average weight for a siege crossbow was around 3oz (-100 draw weight). Smaller crossbows for field combat or hunting would be around half that weight at 1.5 oz.
Ludlow Medieval Lead Tokens
These lead tokens were found in 2 trenches near what is thought to be the site of one of the early Corn Mills in Mill Street.
The tokens were used as a barter for localised goods in exchange for labour and were a form of simple currency. This helped the area’s economic value to be localised and was a simple exchange for labour.
Monastic Medieval Seal Matrix (1300 – 1400)
This small Copper alloy seal matrix was found on an excavation in Ludlow near the original Augustinian Friary, which moved from Dinham area in 1284 to relocate in Galdeford in the later 13th Century.
A seal matrix is the binding seal of the authority of the person who wrote and sent a letter or document, that was folded and sealed in wax with the bearer’s mark or signature. These matrix objects would have been unique and personal and most likely belonged to a person of wealth.
Early 17th century Ludlow Clay Pipes
The first tobacco to come into our shores was in 1555, arriving at the Bristol ports. At first, only the very wealthy could afford such luxuries and at time places like Ludlow had many affluent and wealthy people that were associated with the town. The Royal connections also brought in prosperity.
The early clay pipes had small bowls heads as initially tobacco was a rare commodity and used sparingly. Later when tobacco becomes more popular and affordable, the clay pipe bowl heads became larger and with a heel stem.
La Tene Iron Age Brooch
This Iron Age brooch was found near to Ludlow on a site of a dispersed IA hoard. It dates to 50BC and would originally have been made in the La Tene region of France, but eventually made its way to Shropshire and the Welsh Marches.
La Tene culture was a European Iron Age culture and was a type of art/décor that was prevalent in central Europe and the British Isles. It is characterised by repeating patterns and abstract elements.
Want to find out more? Listen to Leon chatting to the Dan Snow’s History Hit team about the Ludlow excavations when he featured on the Gone Medieval Podcast, ‘Buried Beneath the Castle’.
Plan your visit to Ludlow Castle here, with all the information you need to make the most of your trip, and don’t forget to catch one of Leon’s tours!
