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Designations

• Scheduled Monument () 1018721: Motte castle immediately west of St John the Baptist's church

Monument Type(s):

• MOTTE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Summary

Monument includes a ditched motte castle situated immediately west of St John the Baptist's Church on the northern bank of a canalised stream known as 'Mill Brook' in South Moreton.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds:

Description

(1) The castle consists of a large roughly circular mound or motte, surrounded on all but part of the western side by a broad, deep ditch which both provided material during the construction of the mound and enhanced its defensive capability. This ditch could be either dry or filled with water from the adjacent stream as required.
The motte stands 4m high and measures approximately 40m in diameter at its summit and around 50m across at its base. The ditch is 15m wide and although partially infilled as a result of soil erosion, still stands 2m deep in places and would originally have been up to 3m or more in depth. The gap on the western side which formed an entranceway measures 10m wide and would have contained a wooden stockaded gateway to control access.
Excluded from the scheduling are all boundary fences, although the ground beneath is included
3) Form discarded as all relevant info added to this record.

<1> English Heritage, Scheduled Ancient Monuments Record, SM 28196 (Scheduling record). SOX283.

<2> Victoria County History of Berkshire, Vol I (1906); Vol 3 (1923) p.499 (Serial). SOX6.

<3> NMR Monument - Long Listing Filed in Detailed Record File, SU 58 NE 22 (Index). SOX391.

<4> Berks Archaeological Journal, Vol 15 (1910), p.73 (Serial). SOX390.

Sources

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