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Summary

12th century motte and bailey of unusual form, probably built by Geoffrey de Mandeville in 1141

Images

No image caption available © Hertfordshire County Council

No image caption available © Hertfordshire County Council

Monument Types

• MOTTE AND BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)

Associated Finds

• ANIMAL REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)
• ROOF TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)

Protected Status

• Area of Archaeological Significance
• Scheduled Ancient Monument 20625: SOUTH MIMMS MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE

Full description

Castle comprising a 9m high motte in the NW corner of a kidney-shaped bailey 390' x 350'. There are traces of an outer bailey to the south, now ploughed <1>. There has been extensive lime-quarrying to the W of the monument <8>; the quarry is now infilled and planted <7>.
Excavations revealed that the construction and finds were consistent with the assumption that the castle was built by Geoffrey de Mandeville in 1141 with a licence from Matilda, and was possibly destroyed in 1143. It is also possible that earlier manorial buildings (and/or a chapel, as there appeared to be an apsidal structure) were demolished when the castle was built. The 'motte' is unusual, but not unique, in its construction and purpose. The timber tower was built first, and earth built up around its base to ensure stability, with access into the tower through a timber-lined tunnel. The visual result was not one of a raised mound within the bailey <5, 12>.
Finds included a range of medieval pottery (c.1050-1200), 'highly important for ceramic studies within the region' <12>; some re-used Roman tile; 12th century brick and roof tiles, an example of the early use of this material in the medieval period; crossbow bolts and other metalwork, some decorative; and part of a deer skull with a drilled hole for an iron fastening. The hole in the skull was in the wrong position for suspension, and parallels suggest it might have been used in festivals fastened to a pole, 'playing the stag' <12>.
Finds of 13th-14th century material in the vicinity [4835, 6233] suggest some form of later occupation <9>.
A ditch seen in section along the edge of the cutting made in the late 1970s for the A1(M) motorway was considered a candidate for an outer bailey, until the observation of a layer of Reading Bed pebbles above it showed it to be a natural pipe infill. 'The problem of whether there was an outer bailey is still an open question. Around the castle site there were numerous horizontal, vertical and oblique pipes where the chalk had collapsed' <11>.
See <12> for the full publication. Who built the castle and for what purpose are still open questions, but it may have served as a hunting lodge for Geoffrey de Mandeville's park, Enfield Chase.

Zeepvat, R J, 1995, HAU/HAT backlog archive review: smaller sites, RNO 316 (Report). SHT12953.

<1> Davis, C Lee, 1933-7, The Norman castle of South Mymms; Trans London & Middlesex Archaeol Soc n.s.7/3, 464-71 (Article in serial). SHT6712.

<2> Sands, Harold, & Denoon, D G, 1933-7, A Norman mound and bailey castle; Trans London & Middlesex Archaeol Soc n.s. 7, 175-9 (Article in serial). SHT7515.

<3> Renn, D F, 1957, South Mymms castle; Barnet & District Record Soc Bull 10 (November 1957), 1-6 (Article in serial). SHT1961.

<4> North Middlesex Archaeological Research Committee, 1962, Report on excavations at South Mimms Castle, 20 August to 4 September, 1960; CBA Regional Group 10 Bulletin (1962), 31-4 (Article in serial). SHT5653.

<5> Davison, Brian, 1967, The origins of the castle; Current Archaeology 5 (Nov 1967), 129-30 (Article in serial). SHT8415.

<6> Kent, J P C, 1968, Excavations at the motte and bailey castle of South Mimms, Herts, 1960-1967; Barnet & District Local Record Soc Bulletin 15 (November 1968), unpag. (Article in serial). SHT7516.

<7> OS Records (Index). SHT8223.

<8> RAF, 1951, Motte and bailey, South Mimms, Potters Bar, PNO 3680 (Aerial Photograph). SHT14968.

<8> RAF, 1951, Motte and bailey, South Mimms, Potters Bar, PNO 3681 (Aerial Photograph). SHT14969.

<9> Information from Brian Warren, 4.3.1999 (Unpublished document). SHT5070.

<10> Kent, John, & Streeten, Anthony, 2011, Excavations at South Mimms Castle, Hertfordshire, 1960-1991 (publication draft, edited by Derek Renn) (Unpublished document). SHT7103.

<11> Warren, Brian, 2013, South Mimms Castle observations 1977-79 A1(M) Cecil Road-Roestock Green (part 3 of 3); Potters Bar & District Historical Society Newsletter vol.29/2 (Jan 2013), 8-11, - includes photographs (Article in serial). SHT5765.

<12> Kent, John, Renn, Derek, & Streeten, Anthony, 2013, Excavations at South Mimms Castle, Hertfordshire, 1960-91 (Bibliographic reference). SHT4074.

Sources and further reading

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