More information : (SE 405754) Dyke (NR). (1) Possibly a Danish defensive dyke. (2) A survey of 1569-70 shows that this dyke is the pale of the Little Park of Topcliffe manor within which the manor house (SE 47 NW 4) stood. The park is described as being 2 1/2 miles in circumference. (3) A park dyke formerly running from the E bank of the River Swale at SE 4045 7543 eastwards for about 650.0 m and terminating on the W bank of Cod Beck at SE 4108 7552; the two natural features, as far as their confluence at SE 41467486, forming the other boundaries of the Park. The dyke consisted of a ditch with an upcast bank on the S side but most of this has been infilled and destroyed by ploughing and only 140.0 m of bank remains (centred at SE 4076 7547). This is now about 4.0 m maximum width and 1.5 m maximum height, the ditch only visible as an ordinary hedgeside drainage ditch. Published survey (25") revised. (4) Visible on RAF APs. (5) No change to report of 23.5.74. Survey transferred to 1:2500 on MSD. (6)
SE 4044 7542 - SE 4094 7550. Linear outwork associated with Cock Lodge. Scheduled RSM No 20530/02. (7)
A section of the medieval/post medieval park pale is visible as an earthwork between SE4045 7543 and SE4108 7552. It almost completely cuts off an area of land that lies between the converging River Swale and Cod Beck, within which sits Maiden Bower motte and bailey castle and the Cock Lodge moated enclosure (UIDs 55347 &55342).
The park pale is visible as a broad ditch, and in parts by ditch and bank but is partially obscured by a modern field boundary that runs along the northern side of the pale.
This feature appears to survive as an earthwork on recent air photos. (8-9)
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