Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Tameside castle was built to keep 'Scots from Cheshire'

Archaeologists working on a ruined Tameside castle have concluded it was built to prevent parts of England coming under Scottish rule.

Buckton Castle in Stalybridge by the Earl of Chester was built in the 1100s. It was occupied for less than 100 years during a time when the King of Scotland lay claim to Lancashire and Cumberland.

The University of Salford's Brian Grimsditch said, due to the unrest, "local rulers like the Earl had to protect their lands."

The university's Centre for Applied Archaeology conducted a three-year dig at the castle and have now concluded it was started to offer protection from Scottish expansion, though a change in political circumstances meant it was never finished.

Click here to read the full article from the BBC