Early Leicestershire castles: archaeology and landscape history

Abstract

This paper analyses three aspects of the study of early castles in Leicestershire. Two detailed case-studies of individual castle sites emphasise the often complex and multi-phase nature of their development. Further attention is given to some of the problems in identifying early castles, whilst the final section turns to viewing relationships between early castles and medieval settlement patterns. In all cases it is suggested that castles must be re-integrated within the context of their surrounding landscapes in order to fully understand their role and development.