Civil War Defense Bets Found at the ruins of Sheffield Castle –

Archaeologists of Sheffield Castle remains discovered when the castle was attacked by parliamentary forces in 1644, four wooden stakes were found to defend the castle. These were the first wooden defenses to survive the Civil War era found in Britain.

Bets were found in the former moats defending the south and west of the castle. They are made of heavy branches of ash and elm, about three feet long and sharp at the ends. They are roughly hewn-bark on the trunk, visible axe markings – indicating that they were made in a hurry, probably under imminent attack pressure.

Their locations are still embedded in the bottom of the silted moat, pointing to the bet, part of which is part of the castle’s “Abatis”, a defensive ability that is a reinforcement of large, thick branches whose side branches cut and cut the ends and extend them to various angles, forming an attacker to attack the attacker with a horse or foot crossing. Sheffield Castle has an Abatis in front of the medieval portal.

Archaeologist Ashley Tuck leads the excavation on behalf of Wessex’s archaeology.

“So it is often told that civil war defenses such as the Abatises were used in historical heritages across the country, but these important features are usually hardly seen. In order to be able to hold the woods that the defenders of Sheffield Castle trust their lives. Records show that the castle finally succumbed to the MP after a 10-day siege in August 1644. We know that these woods and the Abatis they formed ultimately failed to protect the castle from destruction, but they portray pictures of the cruelty of the war and add to our understanding of these turbulent times in the past periods of Sheffield.”

Since it is usually decayed over time or destroyed after use, it is very unusual to find these stakes intact. The wood was quickly buried in the slightest process of the castle after siege. This means they are preserved in the filthy remains of the rock moat, six meters deep. The ground of the sink provides ideal conditions for its preservation, which means they have survived for nearly 400 years in Sheffield’s fascinating past, allowing for further insight into this dramatic period.

The website is currently underway for archaeological investigations, part of Sheffield’s Castle Project, a new park, event and cultural space that will display the remains of Sheffield Castle, which has been demolished by the MPs since the castle was demolished, which was part of the 1644 victory. When Tang River defended the north side, the eastern defense of the castle was blocked.

Now, York Archaeology saves the bet. Stabilize the sink’s wood to ensure its long-term preservation will take years. Once the process is completed, the Sheffield Museum Trust will be given a bet so that they can display publicly where they find it.