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Summary

DMV consisting of moat, castle, fishpond, mound, hollow way, ridge and furrow, motte and bailey.

Monument Type(s):

• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOUND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOLLOW WAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BRIDGE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument () 1006850: Deserted village N of Washingley Park
• SHINE (Validated): Earthwork remains of a small medieval motte and bailey, which forms part of Washingley Deserted Medieval village.

Full description

R7, In 1279 Washingley had at least 42 tenants; by 1447 institutions had ceased and the church had fallen by 1534.

R1, The earthworks consist of:-1, TL/135-/890- - a dry moat SE of Washingley Hall with an oblong mound 10ft high in the SW corner.
g2, TL/1370/8898 and TL/1375/8897 - two small mounds E of 1, about 13ft in diameter and 1,5ft high. (The OS ONB (1924) suggests that these may have been part of landscaping).3, TL/1367/8915 - NE of 1 are two Sarsen stones and a rectangular pond.

R4, TL/1371/8872 - 3 rectangular fish stew ponds, surrounded on three sides by an outer basin SE of 1.5, TL/1290/8902 - the Otter Pond W of the house consists of a circular mound 9ft high, surrounded by a wet ditch.6, TL/1304/8907 - a bank runs NE of 5 which terminates close to a mound 30ft in diameter and 2,5ft high called Ward Mound. (The OS ONB (1924) describes Ward Mound as probably "ancient" but infers that it may have been part of landscaping).

S7, TL/133-892- - the ground N of the house (Washingley Park) is broken by a number of ponds, ditches and banks indicating former settlement.

R8, The ditch on the N of the site has the abutments of a former bridge.

R6, A mound is shown at TL/1328/8916. This is possibly part of landscaping.
(TL 134888) Washingley Village (NR) (Site of)
(TL 13718872) Stews (NR)
(TL 13048907) Ward Mound (NR)
(TL 135890) Moat (NR)

O2, A large area containing a number of small isolated sites, the largest being a motte and bailey, formerly thought to be a moat, atTL/135-/890-. The motte is small, some 2,6m high, and the bailey ditch has been mutilated by building and ploughing. To the E of the motte and bailey, centred to TL/1373/8898, are a group of small circular mounds with surrounding ditches, which are probably barrows but without excavation definite classification is impossible; the mound at TL/1304/8907 also falls into the above category. ........The two sarsen stones mentioned by RCHM are erratics. The ponds within the area are in good condition, the Otter pond at TL/129-890-appears to be no more than a drainage moat, the island being too small to accommodate a building. All surveyable features revised at1:2500. There are no surveyable remains of desertion, the area scheduled by the ministry (see blue banded area on 6in centred toTL/133-/893-) is disturbed and seems the most likely, although there is no coherent pattern.

O4, The main sunken road of this village which runs along the centre of the scheduled area, is very fine. The rest of the site is deeply marked by numerous earthworks, but when visited, the site was so overgrown with undergrowth and 6ft high nettles, that it was not possible to make out a coherent plan. The air photograph however shows the street very clearly and various typical enclosures. The whole of the northern slopes of the scheduled area are very wet with pools of water lying in some areas. The area is under rough pasture with patches of nettles and thistles and scrub, especially in the eastern strip. There is a ditch running E - W across the W section of the area. This is obviously not acting as an efficient water channel as the flow was sluggish, even in very wet conditions. The main sunken way is very marked, running N - S between the two centre ponds. Other earthworks which are of varying height are well preserved if difficult to interpret. They are only slight to NE. Marked ridge and furrow was noted in the extreme NW of the site. This did not appear in the ploughed field to N, although the sunken way was quite clearly visible as a depression in the ploughsoil. The mound marked to S appears more rectangular than circular. Could this be the platform for the church? The field to E of scheduled area next to the road is also full of substantial earthworks. Is there a reason why this is not included in the area? The maplet attached to AM7 is misleading as the northern boundary appears to run straight through from the E. The 25in map shows clearly that there is a deviation. (See maplet and file)

R5, Deserted village and associated earthworks. (not plotted on AP Map).

R9 - MPP Record CB 127/48

10. The ONB (1924) describes Ward Mound as probably "ancient", but infers that it may have been part of landscaping, together with The two mounds at TL 13708898 and 13758897. The 1958 6" shows a mound at TL 13288916; this may also fall into the same category.

<1> RCHM, 1926, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Huntingdonshire, 285 (Bibliographic reference). SCB12619.

<2> Page, W. and Proby, G. (eds), 1926, The Victoria County History of Huntingdonshire. Volume 1, 308 - 309 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14952.

<3> Page, W, Proby, G. and Inskip Ladds, S. (eds), 1936, The Victoria County History of Huntingdonshire. Volume 3, 227 - 228 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14992.

<4> RAF APs, 16/10/1945, 106G/UK928, 3151, 3152, 4150, 4151 (Aerial Photograph). SCB12380.

<5> CUCAP APs, 04/04/1957 UC 10 - 15, 23/03/1959 XQ 19 - 24, 09/08/1982RC8-ER 218 - 219, 224 - 225 (Aerial Photograph). SCB3374.

<6> 1958, OS 6 inch map (Map). SCB9007.

<7> Beresford, M., 1963, The Lost Villages of England, p. 357 (Bibliographic reference). SCB1445.

<8> CCC Archaeology, Medieval Village Survey (Unpublished document). SCB2332.

<9> 1995, Monuments Protection Programme Database (printout for SMV's) (Digital archive). SCB17573.

<10> Baird, J., Field Investigator Comments, 24/3/71 (Verbal communication). SCB62256.

Sources and further reading

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