A Medieval Drawbridge Pit and the Stories it Tells Us, Excavations at Pontefract Castle, 2019-2020

Abstract

DigVentures was commissioned by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (WMDC) to undertake a programme of archaeological investigations as part of the Gatehouse Project, a community-focused archaeological research project based at Pontefract Castle, West Yorkshire. The social impact of the archaeological investigations, including project outcomes for heritage, for people and for the community, have been analysed and published in an earlier article. This article focuses on the archaeological evidence recovered during the excavations, and the conclusions drawn about the construction and chronology of the gatehouse at this part of the site.

Keywords

• archaeology
• history
• pontefract castle
• civil war
• excavations
• public engagement
• gatehouse
• drawbridge
• mason's marks
• faunal remains