More information : TF 633222. A rectangular earthwork (circa 300 feet by 450 feet) has been identified at the end of Wootton Drift and is cut
by King's Lynn/Hunstanton railway line. It is thought to be the
sconce "Made at ye croche a myle distante from Lyne wher ye chanell is narrowest.." (1-2)
TF 63442240. The remains of a civil war sconce now under pasture. The surveyable features comprise the eastern flank of the work only, the former central bastion and western flank having been destroyed by a combination of early railway building (with later demolition and removal) and farming.
In plan the work was of the typical military engineering pattern, as exampled in the Newark Siege Works (see RCHM report) although somewhat irregular in style, ie the south east 'arrow head' platform appears rather smaller than the north east. There has been surface mutilation in the form of soil removal and the defensive ditch has been later utilised as a water course; but the platform still achieves a maximum height of 1.6m, the ditch havivng a maximum depth of 0.3m.
The work is situated in flat open country with all round visibility and lies without the line of the King's Lynn Town defensive system.
Surveyed at 1:1250 on MSD. (3)
In 1588, Sir Thomas Leighton decided to create a sconce to the seawards of Kings Lynn. It was not bastioned, but was rather a rectangular earthwork enclosure about 300 feeet by 450 feet. In 1803 it was recommended that a small battery be built north of town near the site of the old fort at the Crutch. (4) |