Mitford Castle Ring Museum Part 1 Project 2020 Alexandra Valkovicova Northumbria University Newcastle | UK The story of Mitford Castle Museum starts with geological layers. At some point, Mitford would have been sea. Cyclic sequence of mudstone, sandstone and limestone formed bedrock upon which the natural hill stands today. In early 11th Century, Normans built their Motte and Bailey castle, which consisted of massive earthworks, wooden structures and wooden palisade encircling the bailey. The castle was then upgraded to a shell keep. Palisade was replaced with a relatively thin curtain wall. Chapel, cemetery and five-sided keep was then added. In early 14th Century the castle was burnt down and never repaired.Thinking about the construction as layers, the museum is ultimately just another historical layer after which another comes in the future. As these layers build up, the whole landscape with Church, Old Manor house, river Wansbeck, forest and castle hill is considered as the museum. This corresponds with several structures embedded in the landscape. The design proposal is gradually built in defined stages because before any new construction is added, the castle hill has to first undergo extensive restorative works in order to save and preserve the collapsing, weed overgrown and half-eroded walls. Tutor(s) Shaun Young