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Summary

Quince Hill's defences consisted of circular earthen banks and deep ditches. Some of the earthworks have been levelled but the line of the infilled surrounding ditch can be observed as a slight break in slope of the hillside. Further defences on the uphill side are demonstrated by an outer bank and ditch, and within the ditch is a bank 2.5m high; a small terrace can be seen between the outer bank and the inner ditch. The entrance was on the north west side, marked by a causeway across the two ditches and by slight depressions in the banks.
The ringwork is interpreted as a ring-motte, and dated to the late Saxon/early Norman period.

Full Description

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1834, O.S. 1", 1st Edition (Map). SBD10662.

Earthwork shown as complete circle.

<2> Bedfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society, Reports, Vol 6, 1853, p. 428 (Taddy)/AASR 2, 1852-3 (Article in serial). SBD10755.

Roman road from Cambridge made for camp at Old Warden, which was probably a military defence of this road.

<3> Bedfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society, Notes, Vol. 4, 1855, p. 51 (Article in serial). SBD10755.

Camp at Warden - only one side, therefore simple defence of Roman way or look-out station.

<4> Beauchamp Wadmore, 1920, Earthworks of Bedfordshire, pp. 117-119 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10706.

Deep outer fosse with earth parapets on inner face, within 70' of deeper and sharper scarped inner fosse, from which rises a ridge of earth with a short pitch or drop on the east face. Adulterine castle.

<5> 1937, Bedfordshire Regional Planning Authority Report, No page ref. (Unpublished document). SBD10783.

An earthwork with a deep outer fosse and a minor fosse. There are indications on a field to the east that the earth has been removed by excavations.

<6> Helen Porter, Site Visit notes (Notes from site visit). SBD12346.

Site visit - site thickly covered by wood and vegetation. This protects the main ditches which are in excellent condition.

<7> Bedford Archaeological Society, List, n.d. (Unpublished document). SBD10794.

Perhaps remnant of IA earthwork (ref VCH 1, 270-271; Wadmore)

<8> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: W2593, 1605 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

John Marburye's claim to manor of Old Warden and Orchard Grange includes:- 1 close of pasture called the Quinses, 20ac.

<9> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: W2055, 1678 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Settlement in trust for the heirs of John Smith:
- tenement, close of pasture called Quinces, the lane
- the Quinces (arable)
All in Old Warden

Deed of John Smyth and Sarah Smyth holders of Orchard Grange. Property includes:- a piece of ground called the Quinces.

<10> Bedfordshire & Luton Archives and Records Service Documents, BLARS: SL 1/20, 1804 (Unpublished document). SBD10551.

Purchase of Church Close and Quince Hill from vicar by Lord Ongley, 1804: - close of pasture plus woodland called Quince Hill.

<11> William Page & H. Arthur Doubleday (Editors), 1904, Victoria County History Vol I, Bedfordshire, Vol. I, p. 270; II, p. 15; III, p. 252 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10574.

Quints Hill in the north of the parish is the site of an ancient earthwork, thickly covered with wood and undergrowth, in whose neighbourhood Roman remains have been found.

<12> Bedfordshire Times, 10/1/1846 (Newspaper Article). SBD10544.

A gentle valley divides the churchyard from an adjacent hill, which formerly had been a Danish encampment; it is a lofty mound surrounded and crowned with ancient oaks that sanctify the shade they cast below. Two deep ravines mark its lines of circumvallation at the base with their appropriate entrances. From this spot, not very remotely, have been dug up two fictile urns of elegant Grecian form with long necks and ansae. Also two urns or jars formed of cannel coal or bitumous shale [SMR 459]; they are beautifully turned and are of precisely the same material that has been ludicrously termed the "Kimmeridge coal money". The hill bearing the vestiges of the encampment is still called "Quints" hill, which I have little doubt is but a slight corruption from 'knutes' hill…..The remains described with other certain evidences of cremation leave but little doubt that this land had originally been a Roman station."

<13> Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol. 8, p. 270 (Serial). SBD10543.

Bedfordshire Earthworks VIII 'The Castles' by J F Dyer. Part One: "Early Norman castles, 'fell out of use early in William's reign and were not rebuilt in stone'….. Quints Hill, north of Old Warden church, has a massive though partially destroyed motte."

<14> P Bigmore, 1979, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire Landscape, p. 41 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10902.

Quints Hill possibly an Iron Age univallate hill-fort.

<15> Hunting Surveys, 1976, Hunting Aerial Photos 1976, 8/2255 (Aerial Photograph). SBD10652.

Visible on aerial photos.

<16> Unknown, No details known for origin of source (Unpublished document). SBD10535.

Ownership details.

<17> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Record Cards, OS: TL 14 SW 8 (Unpublished document). SBD10879.

(TL 136 445) Encampment (NR) (shown as complete circular feature) (OS 1st Edn 1" 1835)

(TL 1366 4454) Quince Hill (NAT) (shown as an elongated ound with water-filled ditches to north and west) (OS 6" 1960)

Quints or Quince Hill is the remains of a massive motte, destroyed on the east side, with double-ditches curving around the north and west sides. Nothing is known of the history of the site. (VCH Vol I, 1904, pp270-271; Earthworks of Bedfordshire, Wadmore, pp117-119; Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol 8, 1961-1963, p270)

<18> British Museum Quarterly, No. 35, "Quints Hill", 1971, pp. 1-4, 82, 279 (Article in serial). SBD11283.

[no further details on record card]

<19> English Heritage, SAM Record Form, No. 20411 (Scheduling record). SBD10803.

Quince Hill ringwork is defended by earthen banks and deep ditches. The main defences consiste of a ditch of V-shaped profile, about 10m deep and 20m wide, surrounding part of an enclosure 80m wide. On the uphill side of the enclosure is a crescent-shaped bank which is about 15m high relative to the bottome of the ditch and tall enough to give a clear view over the crest of the hill. On the downhill side, the natural slope afforded some protection and less massive defences may have been necessary. On this side any earthworks have since been levelled but the line of the infilled surrounding ditch can be observed as a slight break in slope of the hillside. The main defences were further strengthened, on the uphill side, by an outer bank and ditch. The ditch is between 8m and 12m wide and up to 3m deep and its bottom is partially waterlogged. Within the ditch is a bank 2.5m high and there is a small terrace, 60m long by 15m wide, between the outer bank and the inner ditch. The entrance to the ringwork was on the north west side marked by a causeway across the two ditches and by slight depressions in the banks.

The ringwork dates to the late Saxon or early Norman period but there is evidence of Roman settlement in the vicinity. The name "The Quinces" was applied to the site in the 17th century and a 19th century edition of the OS 1 inch map shows the castle defences were then still visible as a complete circuit.

<20> Angela Simco, Site visit notes, A. Simco, D. Baker & C. Taylor (Notes from site visit). SBD12095.

Earthworks as shown by Wadmore extant. Wadmore survey far more accurate than OS 25". Heavily overgrown, many dead/fallen trees.
Site lies near top of slope overlooking Old Warden village, and near church (which is also on top of hill). The main element is a segment of very substantial ditch with internal (downhill) curving bank. The interpretation of this as a damaged motte seems unlikely in view of the regularly curving SE face and its unquarried appearance; it is probably therefore a ring-motte. The area of pasture to the SE shows very rounded earthworks which especially when viewed from down-hill, complete the circle, with a very flattened scarp surrounded by a slight terrace on the line of the ditch. (The ring-motte bank on this side was probably originally less substantial than the uphill side).
The outer ditch and bank form an integral part of the site, probably necessitated by the fact that the top of the surviving ring-motte bank is dominated by the natural height of land to the northwest (due to the site's location slightly below the crest of the hill). The ditch also defined a small ?bailey area.
An outer bailey may have existed on the downhill (SE) side, though no traces remain.

<21> Bedfordshire County Council, HER Slide Archive, 2171-2173 (Slide). SBD10508.

Image of Wadmore's earthwork survey, and images of site.

<22> NMR/AMIE, HE NRHE Monument Inventory, 362766 (Index). SBD12367.

A probable Medieval ringwork and bailey is visible as earthworks and cropmarks visible on lidar imagery and aerial photographs. The ringwork is defined by substantial earthworks on its north west side, which is covered in trees. It comprises an outer ditch and bank around an inner ditch and curving bank about 19metres wide. It does not seem from the aerial photographic evidence that this inner bank continued to the south-east or was formerly part of a motte or mound. The south-east side of the ringwork has been levelled and is now defined by faint cropmarks, comprising a curving ditch which seems to be a continuation of the inner ditch forming the inner bailey. Another curving ditch extends from the inner ditch on the south side, this possibly connected to the outerditch, but this is not clear. This ditch likely formed an outer bailey. A linear ditch can be seen to cut through this outer bailey and although it is not clear if it is contemporaneous with the ringwork, it may represent an entrance on the south-east side.

<23> Skylarkeology, 2016, Comments from Bedford Borough National Mapping Programme Project (Observations and Comments). SBD13184.

The probable Medieval ringwork and bailey is visible as earthworks and cropmarks visible on lidar imagery and aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. The ringwork, centred at TL13660 44527, is defined by substantial earthworks on its north west side, which is covered in trees. It comprises an outer ditch and bank around an inner ditch and curving bank about 19metres wide. It does not seem from the aerial photographic evidence that this inner bank continued to the south-east or was formerly part of a motte or mound. The south-east side of the ringwork has been levelled and is now defined by faint cropmarks, comprising a curving ditch which seems to be a continuation of the inner ditch forming the inner bailey. Another curving ditch extends from the inner ditch on the south side, this possibly connected to the outerditch, but this is not clear. This ditch likely formed an outer bailey. A linear ditch can be seen to cut through this outer bailey and although it is not clear if it is contemporaneous with the ringwork, it may represent an entrance on the south-east side.
(EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 01-JAN-2003 ACCESSED 12-MAY-2016; EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 15-JUL-2003 ACCESSED 12-MAY-2016; LIDAR TL1344 Environment Agency 1M DTM Jan 1998 - Sep 2014)

<24> Old Warden History and Heritage Society, 2018, Quince Hill Collection, 3 colour images. (Aerial Photograph). SBD13749.

Earthworks hidden in trees but still an obvious break visible in the planting marking it out.

Protected Status:

• Archaeological Notification Area (AI) HER972: QUINCE HILL RINGWORK
• Conservation Area: Old Warden Conservation Area
• Scheduled Monument 1010365: Quince Hill ringwork, Old Warden

Monument Type(s):

• ROAD? (Roman/Romano-British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• CASTLE (11th Century to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
• MOAT (11th Century to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)
• RINGWORK (11th Century to 12th Century - 1000 AD to 1199 AD)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Sources and Further Reading

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