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| Monument Name |
Canfield Castle |
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| SMR Number |
4299 |
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| Summary |
On low ground close to the River Roding. |
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| Media |
Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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Canfield Castle, Great Canfield, Uttlesford
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| Associated Media |
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| Description |
On low ground close to the River Roding. Well preserved mount and bailey earthwork. Origin doubtful but possibly a castle of the de Veres, Earls of Oxford. In plan the site consists of large moated mount, a horseshoe shaped bailey on the south side and traces of a weaker enclosure on the west. The moats are fed by a small stream and could be reinforced by closing a dam. The mount is 48ft high x 280ft in diameter at base (east-west). There is a distinct berm, about 10ft wide, upon the slope but it does not run round the moat at the same level. There is no apparent entrance. On the summit is a small mound. The moat is now nearly dry and c45ft wide at the bottom, on average. The mount is thickly planted. No trace of masonry at the summit. The bailey to the south of the mount originally had a double rampart and ditch but the outer ditch has disappeared, except on the east. The inner rampart is c10ft above the interior level and 20ft above the bottom of the ditch which is 100ft wide from crest to crest. On the east, the outer rampart is 5-8ft above the ditch and 5ft above the exterior level. The outer ditch is very slight. The bailey entrance appears to have been at the north east corner. A ditch on the west side leads into the bailey moat at a higher level. Another ditch, parallel with the south wall of the churchyard, communicates with the ditch of the mount and a large pond further to the west may mark the site of the west arm of the enclosure. <1> Bank previously shown to the east of the keep on the far side of the stream has been ploughed out and is only traceable by a small elevation across the field and slight soil discolouration. The weak ditch on the west side has been ploughed out and is only represented by a slight longitudinal hollow and light soil discolouration. The counterscarp outside the bank on the south east side of the stream has been obliterated. The moat on the south west side of the bailey is now permanently dry. The only wet parts are those occupied by the active stream bed. <2> Sited on the edge of the floodplain on gentle rising ground. The motte is tree planted and has later, concentric landscaped terraces and a mound on the level summit which may be modern. Bailey bank and enclosure under scrub and light forestation. The moat is dry and its course is well-defined. The external ditch on the east side is largely ploughed out. Around the hall to the west are fragmentary remains of a probable homestead moat, contiguous to the motte and bailey moat. <3> in <4> Traces of an enclosure to the north enclosing the parish church. <4> <5> In 1086 Aubrey de Vere held 2 hides as tenant-in-chief and 2 and a half hides as tenant of Alan of Brittany. <6> The castle was owned by the de Veres for many years. <7> Mentioned in 1214. <8> Timber fragments and pottery recovered from excavation on axial line of motte ditch. <9> Other refs: <10> <11> 2 photos in SMR. <12>
Photographed from the air by ECC in 1986 and 1988 <13><14>. NMP plot from these and other aerial photos <15>-<25>
Area = 0.59 |
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| Monument Type(s) |
MOTTE AND BAILEY (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
MOAT (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
ENCLOSURE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
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| Monument Class(es) |
EARTHWORK
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Period
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1066AD to 1539AD Medieval
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| Status |
Scheduled Monument |
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| Administration Area |
GREAT CANFIELD, UTTLESFORD, ESSEX |
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National Grid Reference
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Square: TL51NE
Ref: 594179 |
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| Finds |
None listed
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| Events |
None listed
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Sources
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Aerial Photo : CUC MG79, 80 (CUC)
Desc Text : History of Essex (Morant, P)
Desc Text : SMR (Priddy, DA) Includes 1 recast sheet
Desc Text : Trans Essex Archaeol Soc (Trans Essex Archaeological Soc) Vol 16, p133
Map : SMR (Ordnance Survey) Copy from OS
Photograph : TL51-008 (unknown) 2 frames
Desc Text : Pipe Rolls (unknown) Dated : 1214
Desc Text : Essex (unknown) Vol 1, pp290-291 Dated : 1903
Desc Text : An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex (RCHME) Vol 2, p91 Dated : 1921
Aerial Photo : 106G-UK 1367-7198-9 (RAF) Dated : 1946
Aerial Photo : 58-10-5065 (RAF) Dated : 1948
Aerial Photo : 58-10-5069, 70 (RAF) Dated : 1948
Aerial Photo : RAF-58-276-Pt.1-5163 (RAF) Dated : 1949
Aerial Photo : HJ42,44 (CUC) Dated : 1952
Aerial Photo : UK/65/404A/Run8/233 (Hunting Surveys Limited) Dated : 1965
Desc Text : Norman Castles in Britain (Renn, D) Dated : 1968
Aerial Photo : OS-054-73-328-1257 (Ordnance Survey) Dated : 1973
Desc Text : TL51NE08 (unknown) Dated : 1974
Aerial Photo : OS-406-76-004-258, 9 (Ordnance Survey) Dated : 1976
LIST : TL51-008 (Stokes, AH) Dated : 1977
Aerial Photo : HSL-5-78-155 (Hunting Surveys Limited) Dated : 1978
Aerial Photo : 19/4-6 (ECC) Dated : 1986
Aerial Photo : 119/1-10 (ECC) Dated : 1988
Map : NMP Cropmark Plot - 1:10,000 (Ingle, CJ, Strachan, D, Tyler, S and Saunders, H) TL51NE Dated : 1993 - 2010
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