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Summary

A moated site, the island is roughly square measuring approximately 80m by 100m and is defined by a substantial moat 6m wide by a minimum of 3m deep. The site takes it's name from Bernard de Brus who built the manor house here around 1242. Building debris found on disturbed ground showed signs of burning, suggesting that the site's abandonment resulted from a disastrous fire.

Monument Type(s):

• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GREAT HALL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GATEHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DRAWBRIDGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• STABLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BAKEHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• YARD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BARN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• VINEYARD? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events:

• Fenland Survey Project, 1976-1989

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument 1017844: Bruce's Castle: moated site immediately east of Bruce's Castle Farm

Full description

R2, Conington, Bruce's Castle. Homestead moat; although called a castle, it apparently only enclosed the manor house probably built by Bernard de Brus shortly after 1242.
R3, Abandoned in the C16.
02, A large deep moat with a fair covering of mature trees. On the island are three small ponds, but no foundations or disturbance to indicate the house site could be seen. Published survey (25")revised.
03, A fine quadrangular moat enclosing a space of 300ft by an average of 335ft, now planted with trees. Although called a castle it apparently only enclosed the Manor House of the Bruces and was almost certainly made by Bernard de Bruce soon after 1237. The house appears to have been occupied by the Bruces, Wesenhams and Cottons until about the end of the C16. The site lies to the E of the present farm approximately halfway between the A1 and the main Peterborough railway. The moat between 2m - 4m wide is wet through most of its length but dry to W. It encloses an interior rising approximately 2m above the water in the ditch. There appears to be a possible entrance to N. The interior platform is covered in moss and nettles and supports a grove of old elms; mostly dead or dying. There are 2 small ponds one SE corner one in SW. The whole site including some of the moat is full of dead wood of apparent longstanding some having been felled. The N end of the W arm of the moat is full of rubbish including water tanks, tins and various scrap iron tipped in from the side.
R5 - The monument includes a medieval moated site known as Bruce's Castle, situated on the western side of Duckpit Fen, immediately to the east of Bruce's Castle Farm. the island is roughly square, measuring approximately 80m by 100m, and is defined by a substantial moat 6m wide by a minimum of 3m deep, which retains water in all but the western arm. The outer edge of the moat is not embanked, but a slight inner bank survives along the western edge of the island. A leat, or channel, at the south eastern angle is now connected to a modern field drain. Several water-filled hollows beyond the eastern arm of the moat are thought to be the result of later activities around the site and this area is not included in the scheduling. The inquisition (for the manor house) details a hall with wings to east and west, the west wing having a chapel at the southern end and a room to the north called 'The Great Sklat (Slate) Chamber'. This hall was probably located towards the centre of the island where traces of a raised platform still remain. According to the inquisition, a gatehouse was situated to the north of the house, with a herbary between the two. The gatehouse had a drawbridge and stables to either side with a large room (Le Garite) above. To the east of the gatehouse were barns. The probable site of the gatehouse is indicated by a narrow causeway across the northern arm of the moat, and animal disturbance of the ground surface of the island in this northern area has revealed building debris. The debris showed signs of burning, suggesting the possibility that the site's abandonment resulted from a disastrous fire. The south eastern corner was occupied by a bakehouse, yard and fishpond. The fishpond is still a visible feature, 15m long by 1.7m wide, and irregularities on the ground in this corner of the island may indicate the site of the bakehouse. The south western corner is said by the inquisition to have held a vineyard, a term which was also use to refer to orchards, particularly of pears which were frequently used in the medieval period to make wine. A road running north from the moated site gave access to Barn Yard Close which is said to have contained a great barn, hay house and dove house. None of these features can now be traced. The area which they would have occupied to the immediate north of the moated site has been considerably disturbed and it is not, therefore, included in the scheduling.
6. Fenland Survey, CON S1.

1958, OS 6 inch map (Map). SCB8962.

Page, W. and Proby, G. (eds), 1926, The Victoria County History of Huntingdonshire. Volume 1, 296 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14952.

Page, W, Proby, G. and Inskip Ladds, S. (eds), 1936, The Victoria County History of Huntingdonshire. Volume 3, 145 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14992.

RCHM, 1926, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Huntingdonshire, 3 (Bibliographic reference). SCB12619.

English Heritage, 1998, Bruce's Castle: moated site immediately east of Bruce's Castle Farm, SAM 29708 (Scheduling record). SCB16731.

<6> Hall, D.N., 1992, The Fenland Project, Number 6: The South-Western Cambridgeshire Fenlands, CON S1 (Bibliographic reference). SCB16698.

<7> Seaman, B.H., Field Investigator Comments, 8/12/70 (Verbal communication). SCB61886.

<8> English Heritage, 1987, County list of Scheduled Ancient Monuments (Index). SCB65343.

<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.

Sources and further reading

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