PADLOCK 771126

Description: A medieval iron barrel padlock case of Goodall's Type D (in Biddle, 1990), with a hinged shackle. The spring and bolt are missing. Barrel padlocks with shackles (Type D) were intended to secure human or animal limbs (Goodall 1990 p.1001). Examples from Winchester date from the late 10th to early 15th century. The case is cylindrical and c 46.53mm in diameter. The shackle (c 13.42mm in diameter) is hinged at one end (to a projection from the case) and curves in an arc to the opposite end of the case, where a narrow plate with two holes inserts into a slot in the barrel where it could be locked in place. The barrel is 131.95mm in length. At one end (where the shackle slots in) there is a circle of iron with a roughly rectangular protuberance at the bottom. The barrel of the lock then narrows slightly and there are three ribs of iron running horizontally along the bottom of the barrel. At the top of the barrel in the centre, there is a corroded hole with possible evidence of a deliberately created oval hold in one side of the padlock. At the end of the barrel there is a horizontal slot along the bottom of the barrel and at the top, there is a raised horseshoe shaped section with an oval hold to attach the shackle. The padlock weighs 552g and measures 140.06mm in length, 125.79mm in height and 49.03mm in width. Reference: Goodall, I.H; Locks and Keys, in Biddle, M., 1990. Object and economy in medieval Winchester: artefacts from medieval Winchester pp.1001-36.

Date: 1066 - 1500

Object type: PADLOCK

Last import: August 15, 2017