More information : (SE40777515) Cock Lodge (NR) (site of). (1)
Cock Lodge, the site of the manor-house of Topcliffe Manor, the home of the Percies, Earls of Northumberland. It superseded the motte and bailey castle of Maiden Bower and lies just north-west of it. It was at Cock Lodge that the fourth Earl was murdered by
a mob in 1489 and James I stayed on his journey to receive the Crown of England in 1602. The manor-house was built of timber and roofed with tile. (2-5)
"Cock Lodge", a manorial complex built on a natural spur, between the River Swale and the Cod Beck. The spur has been cut through in the NW and SE forming two ditches (about 3.0m deep and 12.0m wide) each with an inner rampart (about 1.5m maximum height and 9.0m maximum width). There are no traces of ditches on the NE and SW sides where the natural slopes of the spur have been emphasised by scarping and a rampart built along the top. The enclosed area measures about 190.0m NW/SE by about 170.0m NE/SW between the centres of the ramparts. There are several breaks in the ramparts (probably due to modern mutilations) but the original entrance has been across a causeway (about 4.0m wide) in the centre of the NW ditch.
The manor house has probably been sited at about SE4073 7512 but there is now no trace of it. A ditch (about 2.0m deep and 13.0m wide) still exists running from the edge of the scarp in the SW for about 60.0m to the NE where it turns eastwards for about 20.0m. It has probably continued and then turned southwards back to the scarp in the S thus enclosing the manor but there is no definite trace of this on the ground now.
At SE40707509 is a turf-covered flat-topped earthen mound (about 2.5m high and 21.0m NW/SE by 15.0m NE/SW) the purpose of which is obscure but is possibly due to modern `landscaping'.
The N corner of the interior is mutilated by several hollows and banks of an amorphous nature and the remainder shows traces of rig and furrow but is otherwise featureless. There is no local knowledge of any finds.
Published survey (25") Revised. (6)
Visible on RAF APs. (7)
The earthworks remain as described on 29-MAY-1974 and are under permanent pasture. Survey revised on 1:2500 MSD. (8)
SE 4085 7511. Maiden Bower and Cock Lodge: a motte and bailey castle, moated site, windmill mound and associated linear outwork. Scheduled RSM No 20530/01. (9)
Listed as a strong house by Cathcart King. (10)
This monument is visible as earthworks on historic and recent air photos. The moated enclosure is a five-sided polygon measuring approximately 190x170m internally. The north-west, two western and the south-eastern sides are defined by broad ditches and intermitant internal banks. The fifth side is aligned along the natural river terrace, there is no ditch here but there some banking. There is a causewayed entrance in the middle of the northern side of the moat, which appears to lead out into the road or avenue UID 1514655. There are several features within the moated enclosure. At SE4072 7521 there are a series of ditch-linked hollows, that appear to run parallel with the northern side of the enclosure. These are possibly later features as the ditch appears to breach the north-eastern bank of the enclosure. At SE4066 7514 there is low oblong mound, it may be modified inner bank of the moat or possibly a later pillow mound. Centered at SE4073 7512 is a possible rectilinear enclosure which appears to abut the inner edge of the moat. It measures C. 80M square and is defined by a broad ditch along its north-western side and corner, but by a slight bank along is south-western edge. This would appear to be the site of the manor house as describe above. AT SE4070 7509 is a substantial oval mound with a possible pit in its crown. This may be the windmill mound described above, though this interpretation is tenuous on the air photo evidence alone. In the southern part of the moated enclosure there are what appear to be shallow sub-rectangular hollows. There are also traces of ridge and furrow within the enclosure, these are recorded in UID1514669. Most of these features appear to survive as earthworks on the 2007 oblique air photos and 2003 lidar-derived images. (11-13) |