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Summary

The remains of a small rectangular gun emplacement or fieldwork, formerly known as the 'Tortoise Mound'

Monument Type(s):

• BATTERY (English Civil Wars - 1642 AD to 1651 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (English Civil Wars - 1642 AD to 1651 AD)
• BULWARK (English Civil Wars - 1642 AD to 1651 AD)

Associated Events:

• Excavation at Tortoise Mound, Huntingdon

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument () 1015008: Civil War battery at Clayton's Way

Full description

1. The monument includes the remains of a small rectangular gun emplacement or fieldwork, now situated in a green space within a 1960s housing development, but formerly located in open pasture overlooking a gentle slope towards the Hartford Road and the River Great Ouse c. 100m to the SE. The earthwork platform, formerly known as the 'Tortoise Mound', is orientated NE-SW, broadly parallel to the road and river. It measures 14m by 9m, with a shallow depression across the centre of the longer axis (perhaps formed by the movement of the gun tail) and slight triangular projections at each corner. The platform is surrounded by a shallow, partly infilled ditch measuring 3m in width and between 0.4m and 0.6m in depth. This is spanned by a narrow causeway of uncertain date in the centre of the NE side. A small trench was excavated across the ditch in the mid 1930's, and a number of artefacts from a wide range of periods were recovered. The Neo worked flints, Roman and medieval potsherds are all thought to have been disturbed from the ground surface during the earthwork's construction; whereas a quantity of iron nails and clamps were considered to relate to its period of use during the Civil War. The gun emplacement is well placed to provide a clear field of fire across the river and the Hartford Rd., thereby controlling two of the major communication routes into the town. Apart from one very brief episode of Royalist occupation in August 1645, Huntingdon was held by the Eastern Association of the Parliamentarian forces throughout the war. The gun emplacement may have been constructed during the development of the Ouse as a military frontier in the early part of the conflict (1642-3), or in the aftermath of the Royalist occupation of Huntingdon when all the bridges and fords across the Ouse from Earith to Eynesbury were fortified against the king's return. A double bank formerly ran across the pasture between the gun emplacement and the road, perhaps designed to serve as an infantry breastwork for the defence of the gun itself. This feature has since been overlain by new housing, and is not included in the scheduling. The fieldwork is well preserved - see SAM file for more.
2. The features is not visible on Jeffery's Map of 1768
3. On the N side of the Hertford Road, off Clayton's Way is a rectangular earthwork, surrounded by a moat. The earthwork measures roughly 50 by 30 feet, with projections at the corners and another in the middle of the NE side. To the SE and running parallel to the Hartford Road was a double bank with a double right-angled bend at its NE end. A visit in 1987 found the site to be in fair condition. It is very small and could have only ever mounted a couple of small guns but would have commended the road and river.

4. (TL 24767227) Moat (NR)

5-6. A "curious earthwork" consisting of a shallow moat enclosing an area of 50 feet by 28 feet, with projections at the four corners and another at the east end. It is too small to have contained a house and may be of comparatively recent date.

Between this earthwork and the road are two rows of banks which appear to be defensive, but are of low elevation and very indefinite character.

7. Earthwork known as Tortoise Mound, consists of a small shallow ditched area not higher than the surrounding field surface. Trenched by Bellerby Lowerison who found that the ditch was never deeper than 3ft. Sections made through the ditch yielded prehistoric, Roman and Medieval artefacts (see TL 27 SW 98) and a quantity of big nails and iron clamps (?). He concluded that it was probably recent and perhaps a Cromwellian gun-mound (Plan).

9. A Civil War single gun platform covering the road and river approach to Huntingdon. The work is scheduled (local informant) and now falls within a modern housing estate. In good condition; under grass.
Resurveyed at 1:2500.

10. Civil War Sconce within the modern cul-de-sac of Clayton's Way. The feature measures some 15m x 10m and has five bastion-like projections. The feature has been encroached upon by modern housing from the N, and disturbed by some infillings of the ditch. It was excavated in the 1930's by Bellerby Lowerison who concluded that it was a Cromwellian gun mound.
For full description see Archive Account.

<1> English Heritage (I. Newton), 1996, Civil War battery at Clayton's Way (Scheduling record). SCB17293.

<2> Jeffrey, 1768, Map of Huntingdon (Map). SCB6694.

<3> Osborne, M., 1990, Cromwellian Fortifications in Cambridgeshire, pp.28-30 (Bibliographic reference). SCB9943.

<4> 1926, OS 1:2500 map (Map). SCB8787.

<5> Page, W. and Proby, G. (eds), 1926, The Victoria County History of Huntingdonshire. Volume 1 (Bibliographic reference). SCB14952.

<6> RCHM, 1926, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Huntingdonshire (Bibliographic reference). SCB12619.

<7> Bellerby Lowerison, 18/01/1935, Peterborough Advertiser (Bibliographic reference). SCB1417.

<8> 1958, OS 6 inch map (Map). SCB8918.

<9> Colquhoun, F.D, 1978, Field Investigators Comments, 24/2/70 (Verbal communication). SCB60597.

<10> Wilson-North, R., Field Investigators Comments (Verbal communication). SCB66001.

Sources and further reading

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