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Summary

Castle Hills is a Norman ringwork castle overlying part of the late Saxon Vill and medieval village which was deserted, at least in part, to make way for the stronghold. The ringwork was used subsequently as the site of a windmill.

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DESERTED SETTLEMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WINDMILL MOUND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds:

• SHERD (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events:

• Excavation at Castle Hills, Huntingdon, 1962
• Excavation at Castle Hills, The Hillings, St Neots, 1949-51
• Excavation at Castle Hills, Huntingdon, 1974
• Watching Brief at Castle Hill (Huntingdon Bypass)

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument () 1009629: The Hillings, Castle Hills: a ringwork castle associated with a Saxon vill, shifted medieval settlement and a windmill mound

Full description

R1, 'The Hillings': A large horse-shoe ditch enclosing on the river side two sub-rectangular wards. Excavated 1949 -1950. The earthworks of the two wards constituted a Norman earthwork castle, datable by pottery to the C12. Some clay wall foundations and building traces were found in the S ward. Within the S ward was a mound which was also excavated and found to be later than the other earthworks, as its material had come from the N and W sides of the ward and it had been raised on a surface already turfed over (probably a windmill mound).

R2, 'Castle Hills' was excavated in 1962 (see plan). The hearth of an AS building was overlain by the bank of the outer castle ditch. This, taken in conjunction with pottery found, indicates that the building went out of use in C12. Therefore the outer bank and ditch must have been Norman as well as the other earthworks.
O2, A ring-work castle with rectangular northern bailey, and lesser outer bailey on the W, protected on the E by the Ouse.

S1, Well defined earthwork under grass. There are many rabbits. The earthwork is situated between the church and the River Ouse and consists of three baileys with the inner bailey on the S side containing a small motte. The whole complex is surrounded by a fosse; the two inner baileys are surrounded by and separated by a second fosse or moat which is not continuous. The ditches and banks are massive on the N or earthwork side and lower on the river side. The whole of the scheduled area lies in the grounds of Castle Hills House and has been recently landscaped, and is for the greater part under much grass with the exception of the bailey banks, which are under rough grass with some mature trees, mostly hawthorn. There has been extensive recent replanting both on the outer moat bank and also on the inner banks. Most of the trees appear to be of smaller ornamental varieties including laurel, cherry etc., however there are also a considerable number of beech, poplar etc. The outer moat runs from the middle of the N side to three quarters of the way round the S side . It is flat bottomed and approximately3 - 4m wide through most of its length. The ground has been dug for vegetables on the NE corner of the site and the bank slightly cut into by the patio and house extension W of this. A rose bed has been planted on the bank where the moat runs out. The N most ba`iley is rectangular and measures approximately 55m x20m the banks to the NW are approximately 3m high on the interior face. There is evidence of animal disturbance possibly fox on the exterior of the N bank. The S bailey appears almost circular measuring 30m across with the interior banks to the NW approximately2m in height. Evidence of extensive mole activity on the motte. Two flower beds to the S of the motte, that to the SE planted with roses, to the SW planted with trees. Building material noted in the soil. The inner moat is wet, to the S and W crossed by a berm and dry to N and between the inner bailey. Banks are maximum 12mapproximately to ditch bottom.

O4, Castle Hills is a Norman ringwork castle overlying part of al ate Saxon vill and medieval village which was deserted, at least in part, to make way for the stronghold. The ringwork was used subsequently as the site of a windmill. The monument is situated on gravel terrace on the W bank of the River Great Ouse. Geoffrey de Mandeville is accredited with the construction of the ringwork during his war with Stephen in the 1140s.The site contains evidence for continuous occupation between the late Saxon and Norman periods. The evidence includes structural remains within the castle site, waterlogged remains in the ditch fills, buried soils beneath the rampart banks and post mill mound and possibly buried waterfront structures on the river foreshore. The windmill mound was constructed some time after the abandonment of the ringwork, being the site of a post mill.

Function: defended settlement
Finished? Yes
Occupation: from C9, defended in C12
Relationship to surrounding settlements over AS settlement

5-7. A medieval ringwork and bailey castle is visible as earthworks on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data and was mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. Located on the western bank of the River Great Ouse at Eaton Socon, about 150 metres north of Eaton Mill and centred at TL 17336 58910, Castle Hills earthworks measure about 165 metres north-south and 140 metres east-west. Two subrectangular earthwork mottes are sited side-by-side. The northern earthwork motte is about 86.5 x 52 metres and the southern motte is about 75.5 x 60 metres. The long sides are aligned WNW-ESE. The mottes are flanked on the western side by two curvilinear ditches, the outer C-shaped around both mottes and the inner E-shaped, the middle arm of the E separating the two mottes. Aerial photographs taken in 2008 show that the earthworks remain extant.

8. Finds made during housing development indicate that the settlement spread at least 200 ft west of the excavated area, and also to the south.

Eaton Socon had been the head manor of the Bedfordshire thegn Ulmar under the Confessor, and it is legitimate to connect the settlement with him and to suppose that his residence was adjacent to the church in the north bailey.
A ring-work Castle with rectangular northern bailey, and lesser outer bailey on the west, protected on the east by the Ouse.
Published survey revised.

9-10. Generally as described : minor revision of 1:2500 survey made. The site shows well on RAF APs (a) and it looks as if the settlement could have extended north of the ringwork complex.

Taylor, A., Castles of Cambridgeshire (Bibliographic reference). SCB19242.

Lethbridge, T.C., 1952, Excavations of the Castle Site known as 'The Hillings' at Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire. PCAS 45: 48-60 (Article in serial). SCB10665.

Addyman, P.V., 1965, Late Saxon Settlement in the St. Neots Area. I. The Saxon Settlement and Norman Castle at Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire. PCAS 58: 38-73 (Article in serial). SCB10748.

Clark, G.T., 1889, Arch J 46, p. 199 (Article in serial). SCB1058.

Hurst, D.G., 1964, Medieval Britain in 1962 and 1963, II. Post Conquest. Med Arch 8:241-99, p. 282 (Article in serial). SCB15697.

<5> Bedford Borough NMP, 2018, RAF/106G/UK/635 RP 3299 10-AUG-1945 (Geospatial data). SCB58126.

<6> Bedford Borough NMP, 2018, LIDAR TL1758 Environment Agency 1m DTM JAN-1998>AUG-2016 (Geospatial data). SCB58130.

<7> Bedford Borough NMP, 2018, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery TL1758 12-OCT-2008v (Geospatial data). SCB58129.

<8> Aldsworth, F.G., 1968, Field Investigator Comments, 21/5/68 (Verbal communication). SCB60629.

<9> Dickson, R., Field Investigator Comments, 23/11/82 (Verbal communication). SCB60613.

<10> English Heritage, APs 541/A83/7 4 50 Nos 3132-3 (Aerial Photograph). SCB63476.

<11> 1960, OS 6 inch map (Map). SCB8922.

Sources and further reading

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