Carisbrooke Castle. Archaeological Watching Brief - Donkey Field and South Revetment Wall Trial Pits

Wessex Archaeology was commissioned by English Heritage to undertake an archaeological watching brief within two areas of Carisbrooke Castle. A total of seven Test pits were excavated across the two areas on the Scheduled Monument area. The first of these involved five Test pits to the east of the castle defences, inside the Donkey Field, immediately west of Whitcombe Road (NGR 448889 087768). The second area was centred on a damaged retaining wall within the south-east courtyard (NGR 448664 087752) of the castle grounds, where two Test pits were excavated to assess the retaining wall and its footings. A total of seven Test pits were excavated across the two areas on the Scheduled Monument area. The first of these involved five Test pits to the east of the castle defences, inside the Donkey Field, immediately west of Whitcombe Road (NGR 448889 087768). The second area was centred on a damaged retaining wall within the south-east courtyard (NGR 448664 087752) of the castle grounds, where two Test pits were excavated to assess the retaining wall and its footings. The Test pits within the Donkey Field were dug to assess ground conditions and the existing structure prior to the proposed improvements of the stable and donkey welfare provisions. An earlier geophysical survey identified areas of higher and lower resistance anomalies, which were also targeted during the work. During the Test pitting of the Donkey Field natural chalk and probable colluvial deposits were identified, along with some worked flint and some modern finds. The geophysical anomalies were considered likely to have been caused by the construction of the existing stable block or possibly earlier iterations thereof. Work surrounding the failing retaining wall identified the surface of a potential archaeological layer, although it was only exposed in a very small area. No archaeological finds or features were recorded. The limited nature of the excavation meant that no archaeological deposits were damaged or significantly impacted on by this work.