Thanks to its stunning location, Beeston is well-known, but much early work on the medieval history has been concerned with the possibility of treasure in the well, rather than on the structural history of the building.
The castle in context
The first serious academic attempt to put the building into a broader context was by Ridgway and King in 1959 in an article in the 'Journal of the Chester and North Wales Architectural and Archaeological Society', and this still informs our knowledge today.
A short, but valuable, account, chiefly of the royal ownership, was published in Volume 2 of 'The History of the King’s Works'. Important editions of the printed primary sources for the castle in the 13th and 14th centuries appeared throughout the 20th century, in particular the references to the castle collated by Stewart-Brown in his 1910 and 1938 volumes for the 'Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society'. The publication of the Chamberlain of Chester’s Account of 1361-2 by Booth and Carr in 1991 had added to our knowledge of the building works at this time.
The Civil War in Cheshire has been a fruitful source of research for historians since the late 19th century. Important sources for the re-use of the castle were published by Hall in 1890 in a volume for the Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society, with R N Dore adding substantially to the military history of the castle in an article in the 'Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society' for the years 1965–6.
To this he added valuable primary material written by the Parliamentarian Sir William Brereton in two volumes for the Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society. This Civil War material has been reviewed and subject to some re-interpretation by J Barratt in a booklet entitled ‘Civil War Stronghold: Beeston Castle at War 1642–5', published in 1995.
Archaeology
Arguably the most significant work on Beeston since 1945 has come from archaeology. In advance of making the site publicly accessible the Ministry of Works supervised clearance of the rock-cut ditch between the upper and lower wards and two series of excavations were carried out between 1968–73 and 1975–83. This work transformed the history of the site, revealing as it did the prehistoric origins of the defences.
The results were written up in an English Heritage volume published in 1993 which, together with a final report on the excavations and finds, also included a detailed architectural survey and historical account of the building and development of the site. As a result, Beeston Castle is now relatively well documented and there now exists a body of archaeological evidence for the early history of the crag.
Future research
Some clear gaps in knowledge remain, however, and there are a number of areas where future work might illuminate aspects about which we are currently ill-informed.
Anglo-Saxon Beeston
Archaeological excavation has transformed our knowledge of the site prior to the construction of the castle, but there is much about Beeston’s early history that remains elusive.
The seeming absence of occupation on the crag from the Roman period to the 13th century seems at odds with the otherwise long history of the site. The early and mid-Saxon periods are difficult to detect archaeologically in Cheshire, however, and the abandonment may be more apparent than real.
Paleobotanical evidence suggests the regeneration of woodland on the crag in the Saxon period and it is worth speculating – again on the basis of the significance of the site in prehistory – whether this woodland was connected in some way with a place of pagan worship. Study of place names and analysis of field names might potentially contribute information here.
Folklore and Legend
The study of local names might also help in building up a picture of Beeston’s place in local folklore. There is a long standing myth that Richard II placed treasure in the castle well before setting out on the expedition to Ireland in 1399 that ultimately set in train events leading to his capture and murder.
Although historical sources suggest that any stockpiles of treasure were recovered by Henry IV, the legend persists and was probably the reason for systematic investigations of the castle well in 1794 and 1842.
As early as the 16th century there was also a prophecy current that the castle would one day save England, but why, and from whom, has yet to be discovered.
Recovering and fleshing out local traditions and stories about Beeston would undoubtedly be a worthwhile exercise, as it would shed important light on non-elite perceptions of the castle and its landscape.
Landscape studies
It would also be useful to gain a more accurate measure of how Beeston acts as a landmark within its immediate hinterland. That the ruins stand out is, of course, obvious, but it would be useful to know if the crag represents the most visible point in the landscape or is one of a number of places where such an effect could have been created.
The use of the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technique of ‘viewshed analysis’ is now commonplace in archaeology and allows the inter-visibility of points in the landscape to be accurately measured.
In the case of Beeston, it would be useful to know if the decision to occupy the crag in prehistory was driven simply by the needs of metal working, or that the crag is indeed the most visible location in its immediate landscape and the perceived benefits of an elevated location prompted its use for human activity in prehistory.
Beeston Castle in an Estate Landscape
Beeston’s role in the landscape of the Peckforton estate would also repay further study. It is possible that detailed records of the repair work undertaken at the medieval castle are contained within the Victorian building accounts for Peckforton. These might give an indication as to the nature and scale of the works undertaken at the castle by the Tollemache estate.
