|
|
| Monument Name |
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle |
|
| SMR Number |
4551 |
|
| Summary |
300yds east of the church, the bailey is on higher ground than the ring. |
|
| Media |
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Uttlesford
|
Stansted Mountfitchet Castle
|
|
|
| Associated Media |
|
|
| Description |
300yds east of the church, the bailey is on higher ground than the ring. The ring is circular, surrounded by a rampart containing lower courses of a flint rubble wall, 8 and a half feet high and 12ft wide at the summit in places, and surrounded by a dry ditch 70ft wide from crest to crest and 10ft deep from the summit of the scarp. In the centre are slight traces of a small round enclosure, probably the site of the keep. The ground drops sharply south and west and the defences are nearly obliterated on these sides. Projecting toward the south from the line of the wall is a short length of flint rubble wall (13ft long x 3ft thick x 9ft high). It retains some of the original surface of coursed flints and seems to indicate the presence of a tower on that side. On the east side a gap in the rampart on that side. On the east side a gap in the rampart leads by a causeway across the ditch into the bailey. The bailey is also defended by a rampart and ditch and is crossed by a slight scarp, possibly indicating the foundations of a wall formerly dividing the bailey into 2 wards. No apparent wall within the rampart which was probably strengthened by a wooden palisade. The rampart is c13ft above the bottom of the ditch, well defined only on the north west and communicates with the ditch of the ring work on that side. The entrance on the north is flanked by a raising of the rampart on each side. On the west this extra elevation has been partly thrown down. The rampart is obliterated on the south and only a deep scarp remains. <1> A fragment of wall stands on the south west side of the ring, now 0.7m thick x 4.2m long and 2.8m high. In poor condition. No trace of a circular building foundation within the ring. This source has sections across the earthworks . <2> Built by Robert de Gernon who came with William the Conqueror. <3> Renn suggests a large keep similar to New Birkenham in Norfolk. <4> in <5> Plan in SMR. <10> Photos in SMR, some of land to the rear of 32 High Street after levelling of the site had taken place. Also an air view of the castle. <7> <8> <9> <22> Examination of trenches illicitly excavated in 1979 revealed that several medieval features had been cut into by a mechanical digger. Weathering of the spoil heaps and trench sides exposed 8 sherds of hard, sand-tempered pottery. The sherds had grey cores and red surfaces, apart from 1 sherd with grey surfaces and a red outer margin. 1 rim of a cooking pot and a sagging base are included in the collection. <11> <6> Finds are in Saffron Walden museum. <12> Resistivity survey indicates at least 4 structural areas. Features noted included a kiln or hearth and a possible ditch, also a ring structure and an area of possible occupation in the central portion of the bailey. Other refs: <19> <20> Overall the castle is probably 11th century, belonged to the Mountfitchet family. Destroyed in 1215, at the time it was held by Richard de Mountfitchet. Not rebuilt after 1215 . <20> <21>
Aerial photographs taken in 1986. <22>
An archaeological watching brief was carried out on the site of the old railway sidings adjacent to the southern side of the bailey ditch of Stansted Mountfitchet castle. The excavation of a pipe trench was monitored along the north side of the development but no archaeological features were identified and no artefacts recovered. The soil was removed from the remaining area but the excavation was not sufficiently deep to encounter undisturbed natural subsoil. No archaeological features or artefacts were identified within the area of the development. <23> Other refs: <24>
Area = 0.46
Site Assessment = Ground near the bailey on the east is considerably cut up and altered by gravel pits. <1> In September 1979 H Paterson (field monument warden) recorded some damage by vandals and several holes apparently dug up by treasure hunters while the owner was away. <5> <6> Proposals to develop the site as a 'reconstruction' from 1979 onwards. <5> In 1981 a large hole was dug with shuttering in it. Visited by D A Priddy and M R Eddy. Owner knew nothing about it. In 1983 Uttlesford DC reported a machine-dug trench within the scheduled area. This was reported to K Chant (field monument warden) and the DOE-decision on prosecution pending. There |
|
| Monument Type(s) |
BAILEY (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
RINGWORK (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
WALL (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
|
|
| Monument Class(es) |
EARTHWORK
STRUCTURE
|
|
|
Period
|
1066AD to 1539AD Medieval
|
|
| Status |
Scheduled Monument |
|
| Administration Area |
STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET, UTTLESFORD, ESSEX |
|
|
National Grid Reference
|
Square: TL52NW
Ref: 515250 |
|
| Finds |
POTTERY VESSEL (Dated 1066AD To 1539AD)
|
|
| Events |
GEOPH SURVEY by Heathcote, C and Colter, CM,
Field visit to 4551 by Paterson, H, FMW on SEP-197
Field visit to 4551 by Paterson, H, FMW on OCT-198
Watching brief Old Railway Sidings
|
|
|
Sources
|
Aerial Photo : A211815 (unknown)
Aerial Photo : Stansted Mountfitchet castle (unknown)
Artifact : ARTEFACT Saffron Walden Mus (Saffron Walden Museum)
Desc Text : SMR (Priddy, DA)
Desc Text : Stanstead Village Project - Summary of settlement history (unknown)
Desc Text : Stansted Castle. A Geophysical Survey (Heathcote, C?)
Desc Text : Stansted Mountfitchet Castle TL 516249 (Priddy, DA and Eddy, MR)
Desc Text : Trans Essex Archaeol Soc (Transactions of Essex Archaeological Society) Vol 1, p65
Map : SMR (Archaeological Advisors Ltd) Copy in SMR
Desc Text : An Inventory of Historical Monuments in Essex (unknown) Vol 1, p276 Dated : 1916
Desc Text : An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex, Vol 1 (RCHME) Vol 1, p276 Dated : 1916
Desc Text : TL52NW12 (unknown) Dated : 1966
LIST : Ringworksof England and Wales (Cathcart-King, DJ and Alcock, L) Vol 3, p113 Dated : 1966
Desc Text : Norman Castles inBritain (Renn, D) p50 Dated : 1968
Photograph : TL52-010 (Petchey, MR) 7 frames Dated : 1975
Desc Text : Man with a problem (Livingstone, J) Vol 1, No 1 Dated : 1979
CORRESPONDENCE : Reconstruction ofNorman Castle at the site of Stansted Mountfitchet Castle, S (Lambert, M) Dated : 1980
Desc Text : List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Uttlesford (unknown) p417 Dated : 1980
CORRESPONDENCE : Stansted Mountfitchet Castle (Buttress, D) Dated : 1981
CORRESPONDENCE : StanstedMountfitchet Castle-Essex Monument No 26 (Priddy, DA) Dated : 1983
Desc Text : Damage to Stansted Mountfitchet Castle.Scheduled Ancient Monument (Priddy, DA) Dated : 1983
Photograph : TL52-010 (Buckley, DG) 4 frames Dated : 1983
Scheduling record : DOE Scheduled Ancient Monuments (HBMC) Part 3 Dated : 1983
Photograph : 4551-C1,C2,C3,C4 (Priddy, DA) Date 1986:5 Dated : 1986
Aerial Photo : 51-5, 6, 7 (unknown) Dated : 1987
Aerial Photo : 64-11 (unknown) Dated : 1987
Desc Text : Stansted Mountfitchet Railway Sidings Car Park, Essex (Dale, R) Dated : 1999
|
| View on Map |
|
