Hoddesdon Bury Cock Lane mound

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameHoddesdon Bury Cock Lane mound
Alternative NamesBroxbornebury Park; Hoddesdonbury
Historic CountryHertfordshire
Modern AuthorityHertfordshire
1974 AuthorityHertfordshire
Civil ParishHoddesdon

An earthwork mound of uncertain date was excavated by Sir John Evans in 1901. Roman pottery was found indicating a possible Roman Barrow. These finds are now considered to be residual and the Mound is now interpreted as a small Motte Castle and is scheduled as such. (PastScape)

A large mound, 20m diam, 3m high, surrounded by a deep ditch 8m wide x 2.5m deep. Beyond the ditch, a slight bank 1m wide by 0.3m high is visible. On the eastern side of the ditch is a modern causeway 8m wide. A small excavation in 1901 by Sir John Evans revealed some pottery, a quern stone and charred remains. The excavation trench is visible as a hollow in the top of the motte which extends down the southern side. The motte stands on a ridge, and would have dominated the locality. Originally interpreted as a barrow by Evans, the mound is characteristic of Norman fortifications of the early post-Conquest period. (Hertfordshire HER)

On the south side of Cock Lane opposite Hoddesdonbury, this mound is a Scheduled Monument. The mound is 20m across and about 3m high, and is surrounded by a dry ditch and a slight outer bank. In 1901 Sir John Evans dug into the mound itself and found a small amount of redeposited debris which appeared to be Roman, demonstrating that the mound was later (Evans 1902). In form it is a motte castle, typical of many built soon after the Norman conquest. It would have had a palisade on top, enclosing a timber tower. In more settled times the motte was abandoned, presumably for the new manor house of Hoddesdonbury. (Extensive Urban Survey)

Gatehouse Comments

Isolated from modern settlement, so questionable as to what locality was it dominating. The 'Bury' place-name is suggestive of a Saxon thegnal site so possible a reworking of that by a minor Norman knight to assert his new dominion or maybe this is a barrow despite the seemly strong assertion made by the scheduling (the quality and interpretation of Evans's excavation may be open to question). The full PastScape report includes the statement 'The purpose of this mound must be considered uncertain on ground and excavation evidence; its classification as a motte is doubtful.' There is nothing that excludes this being a barrow (prehistoric, roman or saxon) as had previous been thought.

- 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 ReferenceTL355078
Latitude51.7528495788574
Longitude-0.0370800010859966
Eastings535500
Northings207800
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Renn, D.F., 1971, Medieval Castles in Hertfordshire (Chichester: Phillimore) p. 18 (doubtful)
  • Fox, C., 1923, Archaeology of the Cambridge Region p. 196

Journals

  • (Dunning and Jessup), 1936, Antiquity Vol 10 p. 50
  • Evans, J., 1902, 'Opening of a barrow at Broxbornebury, 1901' Transactions of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Vol. 2.1 p. 6-10

Other

  • Isobel Thompson, 2005, Extensive Urban Survey - Hertfordshire (English Heritage) Download copy
  • Mike Daniels (HCC) site report. 16.4.86