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| Monument Name |
King John's Palace |
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| SMR Number |
659 |
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| Summary |
Moat. |
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| Media |
King John's Palace, Lordships Farm, Writtle, Chelmsford
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King John's Palace, Lordships Farm, Writtle, Chelmsford
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King John's Palace, Lordships Farm, Writtle, Chelmsford
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King John's Palace, Lordships Farm, Writtle, Chelmsford
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King John's Palace, Lordships Farm, Writtle, Chelmsford
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| Associated Media |
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| Description |
Moat. Manorial enclosure. <1> Well preserved rectangular moat with a fish pond in the west side. <2> Excavated before site bulldozed for agricultural development. Fish pond actually on the east, now a reservoir. 3 periods of building, roughly 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, were seen. The first was within and the later 2 periods outside the moated area. Small finds were numerous. The first phase consisted of the hunting lodge built by King John in 1211, repaired in 1223, 1229-1232. This was often visited by Henry III and Edward I. A hall, kitchen, chapel and gaol are mentioned. In the 14th century the site passed to the Bohun family. Documentary evidence suggests the hall and chapel now lay further to the west, otherwise the layout was similar to period 1. In the 15th century there was building by the Buckingham family until the Duke was executed in 1521. The buildings were in decay then, the process being completed in 1566. This period's main buildings, including a cloister and great chamber, were at the west end. The kitchen was at the east end. The 15th century barn still stands (see 0658). In 1968 the moat was still in good condition though the south east corner had been filled in. The fish pond had been filled in, lined with concrete and was now a reservoir. No structural remains of medieval buildings visible. <3>-<6> Other ref: <7>
A samall-scale excvation on the moat edge uncovered the western wall of the "the great" chamber" excavated by Rahtz in 1955-7 and a small attached structure, the function of which is uncertain. Dating suggests a fifteenth-century origin and that is was therefore part of the final phase of building on the site. <11>
Site Assessment: Formerly ancient monument 93. Descheduled monument 1963. <1> |
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| Monument Type(s) |
FISHPOND (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
HUNTING LODGE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
PRISON (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
GREAT HOUSE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
GREAT HOUSE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
GREAT HOUSE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
PALACE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
KITCHEN (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
KITCHEN (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
KITCHEN (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
MOAT (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
CHAPEL (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
CHAPEL (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
BRIDGE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
BUILDING (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
GATEHOUSE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
GATEHOUSE (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
OVEN (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
OVEN (Dated 1066AD to 1539AD)
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| Monument Class(es) |
EARTHWORK
SUB SURFACE DEPOSIT
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Period
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1066AD to 1539AD Medieval
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| Status |
Not Known |
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| Administration Area |
WRITTLE, CHELMSFORD, ESSEX |
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National Grid Reference
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Square: TL60NE
Ref: 676068 |
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| Finds |
None listed
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| Events |
SALV EXCAV by Rahtz, PA,
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Sources
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Desc Text : An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex (RCHME) Vol 2, p276 Dated : 1921
Aerial Photo : CPE-UK 1776-5018-9 (RAF) Dated : 1946
Desc Text : Medieval England in 1956 (Rahtz, PA in Wilson, DM and Hurst, JG) Vol 1, p160 Dated : 1957
Desc Text : Medieval Britain in 1957 (Rahtz, PA in Wilson, DM and Hurst, JG(?)) Vol 2, pp202-204 Dated : 1958
Desc Text : SMR Form (unknown) Dated : 1960s to
Desc Text : History of the King's Works (Brown, RA and Colvin, HM) Vol 2, pp1019-1020 Dated : 1963
Desc Text : TL60NE12 (unknown) Dated : 1968
Excavation report : Excavations at King John's Hunting Lodge, Writtle, Essex (Rahtz, PA) Dated : 1969
Excavation report : Excavations at King John's Hunting Lodge, Writtle, Essex (Ecclestone, Joanna) Dated : 1993
Map : NMP Cropmark Plot - 1:10,000 (Ingle, CJ, Strachan, D, Tyler, S and Saunders, H) TL60NE Dated : 1993 - 2010
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