SCALE OF 

 O IOO -ZOO 



"iOO 



ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



covering now a space of only about 150 ft. by 90 ft., and being not more 

 than 20 ft. in height. It has been said it was originally built in a pool. Its 

 situation is known as Pool Dam ; though in the midst of the parish of 

 Newcastle, Pool Dam was until recently in the parish of Stoke on Trent. 

 The nearest altitude given in the Ordnance map is 388 ft. 



STAFFORD. Everyone passing this prominent feature of wooded hill and 

 crowning towers rising from the low level of the flat meadows beneath it at 

 Stafford, credits the building with hoary age, but this is not the actual case, 

 for whatever may have 

 been in the past the present 

 building is of recent date ; 

 but of the mound on which 

 the building stands more 

 has to be said. 



The earthwork con- 

 sists of an oval mound 

 with its axis north-east 

 and south-west, measuring 

 on the top 63 yds. by 

 50 yds. On its summit 

 is a raised hillock of ellip- 

 tical shape whereon the 

 present building now 

 stands. The height of 

 the mound above the fosse 

 is in places 35 ft. The 

 entrance has been at the 

 south-east, and duly de- 

 fended. The slope of the 

 mound starts from the pla- 

 teau itself. The altitude is 

 476 ft. From the Anglo- 



p _ f , . . jlMflte^D 



Saxon Chronicle we learn 

 that in 913 the Lady 

 Ethelrleda built a fortress 

 at Stafford. 



TAMWORTH. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Lady Ethelfleda 

 in 913 constructed a castle here. This was possibly a part of the present 

 castle mound carrying some remains of Norman masonry, together with 

 works of later dates which stand at the junction of the Rivers Tame and 

 Anker. A mound here was essential for the establishment of anything 

 in the way of defence of the place whenever and by whomsoever that might 

 be required. 



The town and castle were defended by the ' King's Ditch,' which was of 

 great extent, and inclosed the parish church in the line parallel with the 

 river, its ends terminating in bastions, whence two other sides ran down to 

 the river which itself forms the remaining defence. At the present time the 

 mound is, roughly speaking, circular with a table top of 37 yds. in diameter, 

 and a base of 80 yds. in diameter, which, however, has in some places been 



355 



SECTIONS. 

 >CALE 80= \\ 

 ,6 



10 o 



STAFFORD CASTLE 



