Podington Motte

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Certain Masonry Castle

There are earthwork remains

NamePodington Motte
Alternative NamesPuddington Manor Farm
Historic CountryBedfordshire
Modern AuthorityBedfordshire
1974 AuthorityBedfordshire
Civil ParishPodington

Extensive earthwork remains of a Motte and triple bailey castle, now in part mutilated. Grassed over building foundations were noted on top of the mound during field investigation in 1972. There has been slight soil robbery on the west face and the bailey defences though now slight, show evidence of having been more robust. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Lowerre (2005) rejects this as a castle based on his definition of early Norman castles. The opinion of Gatehouse is that his definition is far to narrow to be useful and would, if applied nationally, exclude the vast majority of castles. The suggestion by Pevsner that the motte and bailey type castle had 'an outer enclosure large enough to circumscribe the whole village' has been dismissed. Although the earthworks are eroded it seems likely this was never a particularly strong castle, with a low mound and relatively slight baileys.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP943629
Latitude52.2560691833496
Longitude-0.620289981365204
Eastings494300
Northings262900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Petre, James Scott, 2012, The Castles of Bedfordshire (Lavenham: Lavenham Press for Shaun Tyas) p. 72-3
  • Lowerre, A.G., 2005, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (Oxford: John and Erica Hedges Ltd: BAR British Series 385) p. 222
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 15
  • Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p. 4 (slight)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 6
  • Pevsner, Nikolaus, 1968, Bedfordshire and the County of Huntingdon and Peterborough p. 135
  • Wadmore, Beauchamp, 1920, The Earthworks of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p. 165-7
  • Page, Wm (ed), 1912, 'Parishes: Podington and Hinwick' VCH Bedfordshire Vol. 3 p. 83 online transcription
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)

Journals

  • Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol. 9-10 p. 35-54 (plan)
  • Dyer, J.F., 1962-3, 'Bedfordshire Earthworks VIII, The Castles: Part One' Bedfordshire magazine Vol. 8 no. 63 p. 348
  • Clark, G.T., 1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 46 p. 197-217 esp. 199 online copy
  • Clark, 1880, The Builder Vol. 38 p. 250

Other

  • Lowerre, A.G., 2004, Placing Castles in the Conquest. Landscape, Lordship and Local Politics in the South-Eastern Midlands, 1066-1100 (PhD thesis: Boston College) p. 462-3