Great Missenden; The Castle

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Ringwork)

There are earthwork remains

NameGreat Missenden; The Castle
Alternative NamesRook Wood
Historic CountryBuckinghamshire
Modern AuthorityBuckinghamshire
1974 AuthorityBuckinghamshire
Civil ParishGreat Missenden

A nearly square enclosure of simple plan and doubtful origin, possibly a medieval manorial stronghold but owing to the levels, the ditches can never have held water. The defences at the strongest part consist of a rampart 11ft high and a ditch 7ft deep. The entrance is on the NE side with a causeway across the ditch. On the SW side is another entrance, probably modern. (RCHME) Pieces of cooking pots dated to C12 by G Dunning were found in and near a pit inside the earthwork, close to the SW entrance. (Cockburn) The Castle (name verified). A well engineered defensive earthwork consisting of a rampart and outer ditch, measuring overall c80.0m square with round corners but not of uniform construction. On the NE side is the original central causewayed entrance with the rampart and ditch on both sides inturned into it. Here the internal bank is c2.0m high and the ditch from the top of the bank to the base of the ditch is c3.0m high. On the NW and SE sides, the defences progressively reduce towards the SW where the internal bank is c0.5m high and from the bottom of ditch to the top of the bank is c1.5m high. Here a modern way cuts the work near a circular pit which mutilates the inner bank. There is no trace of structure in the internal area and no levelling or interruption of the natural SW slope is apparent. The size, good preservation and the only known finds suggest this is a Medieval work. (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

Isolated from settlement, although there was a water mill 500m SW. The defensive construction, name and C12 pottery are suggestive of ringwork.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSP908004
Latitude51.6953315734863
Longitude-0.686240017414093
Eastings490870
Northings200430
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 35
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 29
  • RCHME, 1912, An inventory of the historical monuments in Buckinghamshire Vol. 1 (south) p. 172-73 online copy
  • Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p. 315-6 (plan) online copy

Journals

  • Cockburn, R.W.T., 1934-39, Records of Buckinghamshire Vol. 13 p. 300