94 
PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 
1919 
of the Charter, and obtained it, together with a heavy indemnity 
for damages done by it to his ancient rights as Lord of the 
Manor and of the Seven Hundreds and rector of the parish. 
All appeals were in vain. The old yoke was refastened upon 
its neck, and the town’s forward progress towards autonomy 
was stayed by the work of its spiritual lord. 
It is therefore interesting to recognise the exceeding 
importance of the peculiar change that so unkindly altered 
the prospects of the old town, and to emphasise at the same time 
how significant in its story was the early loss by destruction of its 
Castle. Here I cannot but notice that some local historians 
have manifested uncertainty as to the true site of the Castle, 
some declaring that it stood at the Querns. But the Castle 
(as the late Rev. E. A. Fuller rightly declared), never stood 
there. We can quite well fix where it did stand by evidences 
which have been neglected. Let us look at the plan of the 
town for a moment, and consider the peculiarities of the 
place-names. 
First, let us look at the irregular block of houses formed by 
Silver Street, Castle Street, and Park Lane. This block shows 
itself the result of a circle of structures instead of a square 
like the rest of the blocks in this town. Next, there is the 
presence of Castle Street, with a peculiar bulge in it. 
But almost more conclusive than these points is the former 
name of Park Lane, namely “ Law Ditch.” You will ask 
why this should be evidence. The reason is this. A royal 
castle in a mediaeval town was altogether independent of 
the rest of the town or borough, or local magnates, whether 
Abbots, Bishops, or Lords of Manors that encroached on 
portions of the town. The inhabitants of the Castle, servants 
and all, were exempt from town justice, and if they had to be 
prosecuted they had to be sent to Gloucester to be tried in the 
Sheriff’s Court. Hence, the moat or ditch of the Royal Castles 
at Cirencester, Bristol and Gloucester became in due course 
(especially when dried up) the resort of felons and malefactors 
and excommunicated folk, of whom town-justice had to beware, 
for it could not deal with them. Hence these Castle Ditches 
took the curious name of Law Ditches. Thus we have in this 
one name something like proof of where the Castle Ditch (or 
