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Summary - not yet available

Monument Type(s):

• MOAT (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
• MANOR (Late Saxon to Medieval - 851 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOMESTEAD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DEER PARK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

2. A double rectangular moat at Park Wood. The main enclosure is 180ft by 250ft surrounded by a wet moat between 18ft -25ft wide and 10ft deep (see plan). Inside it brick foundations are said to have been dug up which could be the site of the manor house of Burgh. On the W side there is a secondary rectangular area surrounded by a dry ditch which has almost the same dimensions as the main enclosure but is less deep and has no banks.

3. Burrough Green is recorded in the earlier C11 and the earliest manor house probably stood on the Saxon moated site in Park Wood.

S3, Thomas de Burgh ... almost certainly built the isolated moat ...at Park Wood in his new deer park. S4, Thomas de Burgh ... his second son, another Thomas ... in 1330... obtained a licence to make a deer park ... and almost certainly built the moated site.

6. Among the few parks in Domesday Book is the 'park of woodland beasts' at Borough Green (sic) the remains of whose massive earthworks still exist.

7. Well defined bank and external ditch are noted in the east and south sides of the wood, increasingly distinct at the southern end of the eastern side where it is up to 1 meter high and up to 5m wide. West side not inspected. A few pollarded oak trees are situated on the east and south banks (Cushion, B. 18/04/02).

8. Summary of the historical background of the Park Wood moated site, and events leading up to its destruction in 1983.


O1, The ploughed interior is very thickly strewn with flint nodules, compared to surrounding fields. Ditch is in good condition and holds water, but the interior is now ploughed, 1980, therefore not recommended for scheduling.
O2, Some soil has been dumped in the SE corner of moat. Ploughing is continuing to bring up bricks and tiles. Farmer says he has no intention of filling in the moat.
O3, Site totally destroyed by new owner. See notes etc in parish file.
O4, A sub rectangular homestead moat situated on high ground to the N of Park Wood. The secondary enclosure visible on CUCAP AP's to the W has been ploughed out, but its course is marked by slight soil variations. The main moat measures overall 104m N to S by 84m E to W the arms averaging 12m wide by 3,2m deep. The water level is maintained by surface drainage with the original causewayed entrance across the E arm. The interior, which is now ploughed, appears to have been dug, possibly for building stone, though a dense scatter of Medieval tiles is, still visible on the surface. An inner bank on the S side has been formed down to 0,4 m high and an outer bank to the W side is now visible as a slight lift in the plough. Published 25 inch survey revised on AM.
10. Enclosures are clearly visible on aerial imagery from the 1940s-50s on Google Earth. Comprising a waterfilled main moat with an entrance on the eastern arm. A secondary ditched enclosure to the west and additional ditched enclosures in the area.

11. faint outline of the moated site still visible on LiDAR data from c2020

<1> 1674, Estate map (Map). SCB5619.

<2> Salzman, L.F (ed), 1948, The Victoria County History of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. Volume 2, 18 - 19, (ill) (Bibliographic reference). SCB14649.

<3> Elrington, C.R. (ed), 1978, The Victoria County History of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. Volume 6 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14801.

<4> Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SCB4612.

<5> Salzman, L.F (ed), 1948, The Victoria County History of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. Volume 2, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14649.

<6> Rackham, O., 1976, Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape, p. 143 (Bibliographic reference). SCB12108.

<7> Brian Cushion, 2002, Document detailing new earthwork discoveries (Unpublished document). SCB17755.

<8> Stevens, P.A., Field Investigator Comments, 30/1/78 (Verbal communication). SCB60592.

<9> Cathcart King, D.J., Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery (Bibliographic reference). SCB61251.

<10> Google Earth, Google Earth Composite aerial imagery from 1940s-1950s (Aerial Photograph). SCB62964.

<11> Environment Agency, 2020, Environment Agency 1m resolution LiDAR Complete coverage mapping (Geospatial data). SCB66292.

Sources and further reading

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