A series of excavations, watching briefs and other interventions have shed new light on the history and archaeology of the only medieval fortification on the Isle of Wight. The earliest use of the hilltop was for a 6th century Saxon cemetery, followed by settlement and timber fortification in the late Saxon period. A motte and bailey replaced an earthen Norman castle in the 12th century and the castle saw repeated episodes of building and embellishment up to the 17th century. The excavations have produced good stratified sequences of medieval and post-medieval artefacts, particularly pottery, and revealed a range of domestic and other buildings.