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| Name: | Castle or Moated House - Ford |
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| HER Ref: | MWS3222 |
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| Type of record: | Landscape |
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Designations - none recorded
Summary
Irregularities of the surface of the ground near Ford Church mark the site of a castle that is supposed to have been erected in C12. It was defended by a moat filled by the incoming tide, and had a large park attached (Park Farm is at SU98350207 on the OS 1in map of 1813). Some of its foundations were laid bare by the now disused Chichester and Arundel Canal.{1}{2} Foundations of a strong house, possibly the castle of the Bohuns were found at Ford in c.1910.{3} Near to Ford Church are the foundations of a large mansion, surrounded by a fosse.{4} Ford Castle was probably built by Savaric Fitz Cana after the transfer to him of the manor of Ford about the year 1102. The park attached was of considerable extent and was valued in 1575 at ten pounds per annum.{5} The site of the castle was probably upon a tongue of land a few feet higher than the surrounding mud flats, which extend E. from the modern road and on which stands Ford Church. The disused canal which crosses this land has been filled in and the ground is under pasture. No foundation remains are visible. The ground W. of the church is uneven and hummocky but no intelligible pattern can be made out, except for a large dug ditch running parallel to the footpath to the church, extending W. for 70m and being 8.5m wide and 2m deep. There are no banks and no indication as to how the spoil was disposed of. Age and purpose are uncertain.{6}{7} The manor house was sited on the raised mound on which Lock Cottage now stands. Discussion and site survey.{8}
Monument Types
- DITCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- PARK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CASTLE (Medieval - 1100 AD to 1199 AD)
Sources
| <1> | Bibliographic reference: 1959. The West Sussex Coast (Ward Lock's Red Guide). 108. |
| <2> | Bibliographic reference: Dallaway. 1832. |
| <3> | Bibliographic reference: 1911. Sussex Arch Colls. 54:275-. |
| <4> | Bibliographic reference: Horsfield FW. 1835. History and Antiquities of Sussex. 2:114. |
| <5> | Bibliographic reference: Elwes DGC. 1876. Castles and Mansions of West Sussex. 100. |
| <6> | Bibliographic reference: OS. 1962. TQ00SW52. |
| <8> | Bibliographic reference: Gardiner M. 1989. Ford Deserted Village. Sussex Arch Colls. 127: 249-51. |
Associated Events - none recorded
Associated Monuments
- MWS6291 - Related to: Ford Shrunken Medieval Village (Monument)
Associated Finds - none recorded
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