Pancake Hill Archaeological Project (East Bridgford, Nottinghamshire): Background

In 2003 the archaeologists of Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) began a project on the archaeology and history of the castles of the county. The NCC project has sought to identify Nottinghamshire’s castles, gather together existing research, and then add to this knowledge through a range of fieldwork activities, aiming to involve local communities wherever possible. The project has focused on taking the subject back to basics and looking at the chronology, landscape context and military and domestic roles of castles.

One of the first castles to be included in a series of site visits was the small motte and bailey castle at East Bridgford, known locally as Pancake Hill. This site visit led to a relationship with the keen and interested community group and a joint project between NCC archaeologists and the East Bridgford Local History Group, funded by the Local Heritage Initiative and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund began in early 2005.