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Hertfordshire HER
.
HHER Number: | 46 |
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Type of record: | Monument |
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Name: | MOATED MOUND, SOUTH OF RENNESLEY GARDEN WOOD, THUNDRIDGE |
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Summary
Undated mound surrounded by a square 'moat' but of uncertain age and function
Monument Types
- MOUND (Unknown date)
- MOAT? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)
- MOTTE? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)
- PROSPECT MOUND? (Post Medieval - 1501 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status
- Scheduled Ancient Monument HT22: MOATED MOUND S OF RENNESLEY GARDEN WOOD
- SHINE: MEDIEVAL AND POSSIBLY EARLIER SETTLEMENT, RENNESLEY GARDEN WOOD, WADESMILL
- Scheduled Ancient Monument 22:
- Area of Archaeological Significance 109
Full description
Circular earthen mound 12.5m diameter and 1.3m high surrounded on N, S and E sides by a ditch. This is square in plan, c.9m wide and up to 1.8m deep, and now dry. Age and function unclear; it has been described as a moat or a barrow and on the OS 6" map as the site of a castle. In good condition <1>.
It was already considered to be a 'Moat' and '(Site of) Castle' in 1880 <3>. The 1880 map shows the 'moat' as three arms, apparently still water-filled. The two corners were not quite at right-angles (so it was not quite square), and the arms were 21, 26, and 22m long.
The SM description <2> calls this 'the most interesting of the moated mounds in Herts… a mound c.11m square and 1.87m in height, standing on a square platform… (and) surrounded on three sides by a moat'. The moat is dry; the site is covered in woodland (which is not ancient). Its date is unknown, and its form peculiar.
It stands on high ground overlooking a slope down to the river to the east. It may be an elaborate post-medieval prospect mound (compare [43]), but the topography suggests it might be an older earthwork adapted for this purpose. Further earthworks lie to the west and north <4>, and may extend into Rennesley Garden Wood (see [2085]). <4> suggests that the earthworks to the west could be a medieval manorial centre; a manor of Rennesley is documented.
Anne Wells (HCC) site report, 3.5.78 (Unpublished document). SHT1879.
OS Records (Index). SHT8223.
Aylott, G, 1906, Earthworks at Temple Chelsing and Rennesley; Trans East Herts Archaeol Soc 3/2, 133-4 (Article in serial). SHT4211.
RCHM (England), 1911, Inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire, - p209 (Bibliographic reference). SHT9222.
<1> Information, KAT (HCC), Site visit, Jan 1995 (Unpublished document). SHT5258.
<2> Scheduled Monument description (Scheduling record). SHT9990.
<3> OS 25 inch map, 1st edition, 1880 (Cartographic material). SHT8116.
<4> Secker, Dan, 1997, (Plan of) Rennesley Castle and Rennesley Furneaux manor (Graphic material). SHT6080.
Sources and further reading
--- | Unpublished document: Anne Wells (HCC) site report. 3.5.78. |
--- | Article in serial: Aylott, G. 1906. Earthworks at Temple Chelsing and Rennesley; Trans East Herts Archaeol Soc 3/2, 133-4. |
--- | Index: OS Records. |
--- | Bibliographic reference: RCHM (England). 1911. Inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire. - p209. |
<1> | Unpublished document: Information, KAT (HCC). Site visit, Jan 1995. |
<2> | Scheduling record: Scheduled Monument description. |
<3> | Cartographic material: OS 25 inch map, 1st edition. 1880. |
<4> | Graphic material: Secker, Dan. 1997. (Plan of) Rennesley Castle and Rennesley Furneaux manor. |
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