Coursework
Q1. How far is Dundrum a Norman Castle? (18 marks)
On Tuesday 5th May we visited Dundrum Castle to investigate if Dundrum Castle is a complete Norman Castle. The fact that the site on Dundrum Castle is one of a typical Motte and Bailey helps suggest that Dundrum Castle is a complete Norman Castle.
The Keep
On arrival the first feature that caught my attention was the circular keep located in the upper ward. The circular shape of the keep in Dundrum is not usual in Ireland as there are similar keeps found in place s such as, Nenagh in Tipperary and also in Pembroke in Wales. On a closer look I could start to identify some the of the Norman features that the circular keep has. For example I could see things such as arrow loops, the wall walk at the top of the keep(however this feature is not in good condition) and the original first floor entrance. When I went inside the keep on the ground floor there is a pit out into the rock which would have been used for water storage. As I look up I noticed that there was no roof has it had probably rotted away with the rest of the wooden features of the keep. An example of this was on the first floor there were ruins of a fireplace and also two large window seats which suggest that the first floor was the Lord’s private room. As I travelled up the spiral staircase which leads from the ground floor to the floors above I noticed that the narrow it was and how it was an excellent defence feature. In the Archaeological Survey (source1) it suggest that the keep was built by king John between 1203 and 1227. Also in the Ancient Monuments it states that the king had it built.