Chippenham; The Rookery

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameChippenham; The Rookery
Alternative NamesRookery Bowl
Historic CountryCambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely
Modern AuthorityCambridgeshire
1974 AuthorityCambridgeshire
Civil ParishChippenham

Large Bronze Age bowl barrow possible motte. (King)

Gatehouse Comments

The mound is near a farmstead, but not any medieval settlement. PastScape makes no mention of medieval finds or associations. Not clear why this barrow, in an area with dozens of barrows, is singled out by King as a possible motte, other than it's position overlooking an important crossroads (the barrow are clearly deliberately sited to be visible from the pre-historic routeway). Note that King also mislocates this site as in Suffolk, it is in that part of Cambridgeshire which projects into Suffolk, near Newmarket. Gatehouse is reluctant to entirely dismiss this site without knowing King's reason for considering it to be a possible motte but clearly highly doubtful.

- 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 ReferenceTL678670
Latitude52.2756690979004
Longitude0.459369987249374
Eastings567890
Northings267000
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Calculate Print

Books

  • Wareham, A.F. and Wright, A.P.M. (eds), 2002, VCH Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely Vol. 10 p. 370- online transcription (description of barrows and parish only)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 460 (possible; mislocated in Suffolk)
  • Fox, Cyril, 1923, The Archaeology of the Cambridge Region: a topographical study of the Bronze, Early Iron, Roman and Anglo-Saxon Ages, with an introductory note on the Neolithic Age p. 30 (as barrow)

Other

  • English Heritage, 1997, Scheduling record: Four bowl barrows N of the A11/A14 junction, part of the Chippenham barrow cemetery, SAM 27180