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Summary

Originally a motte & bailey castle, much altered by later buildings and garden landscaping.

Full Description

Odell Castle, originally a motte and bailey apparently with a stone keep, was described by Leland, E 16th c, as a ruin (2). Nothing is known of the original buildings, but a new residence was built 1623 apparently using the remains of the keep, indicated by the great thickness of the walls in the basement to the SW and NW (3). The 17th century house was built together with a chapel and ancillary buildings whilst the grounds were landscaped into gardens, largely removing the motte and bailey. Considerable alterations were made in the 18th and 19th centuries. (1,2)

The 17th century house burnt down in 1935 and was demolished in the early 1960s. A new house was built.

The terracing on the motte and the retaining walls are modern; what was probably the bailey is now terraced lawns. The present road lies in the bed of the ditch, which appears to have once surrounded the works, dying away to the south in marshy ground. (3)

At least five terraced banks of a garden of probable post-medieval or 20th century date are visible as earthworks on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data and were mapped as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project. Located within the grounds of the former medieval castle and centred at SP 96632 57850, the terracing extends over an area about 200 metres SW-NE and 140 metres NW-SE.

Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol 4, p223-227 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10543.

Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol 7, p 291 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10543.

Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol 8 p 334 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10543.

Bedfordshire Magazine, Vol 9 pp 276, 347 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10543.

Bedfordshire Times, 01/10/1976 (Newspaper Article). SBD10544.

HER Photograph Archive, Vol 11, No 81, p34 1967 (Photograph). SBD10506.

NMR Buildings file, Ref BF087510 (Unpublished document). SBD10795.

NMR Photographs, no ref (Photograph). SBD10708.

OS: SP 95 NE, SP 95 NE 1 (Unpublished document). SBD10850.

D & S Lysons, 1806, Magna Britannica, (1) (Unpublished document). SBD10689.

D & S Lysons, 1813, Magna Britannia (Bibliographic reference). SBB12272.

1902, OS 6" 1902, SP 9667 5791 (Cartographic materials). SBD10834.

1908, Victoria County History, Bedfordshire, (2) Page(s)73-4 (Article in serial). SBD10574.

1908, Victoria County History, Bedfordshire, Vol 1, p 300 (Article in serial). SBD10574.

Wadmore, 1920, Earthworks of Bedfordshire, pp 113-115 (Bibliographic reference). SBD10706.

Beachamp Wadmore, 1920, The earthworks of Bedfordshire, (3) Page(s)113-5 (Bibliographic reference). SBB12215.

1937, Bedfordshire Regional Planning Authority Report, p 187 (Unpublished document). SBD10783.

1980, Hon. A Lawson-Johnson, May 1980 (Verbal communication). SBD10849.

Protected Status:

• Conservation Area: Odell Conservation Area

Monument Type(s):

• CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• KEEP (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1999 AD)
• GARDEN FEATURE (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1999 AD)
• HOUSE (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1999 AD)
• MANOR HOUSE (16th Century to 19th Century - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• PIT (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1999 AD)
• POND (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1999 AD)
• TERRACED GARDEN (Post Medieval to Late 20th Century - 1540 AD to 1999 AD)
• CHAPEL (17th Century - 1601 AD to 1700 AD)

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events: None recorded

Sources and Further Reading

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