Anstey Hales Farm

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Questionable Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

NameAnstey Hales Farm
Alternative NamesHales Hill
Historic CountryHertfordshire
Modern AuthorityHertfordshire
1974 AuthorityHertfordshire
Civil ParishAnstey

Medieval moated mound - possible 'vicars moat'. (PastScape)

Square moat enclosing pyramidal mound with hollowed-out top. Gap in west side of counterscarp bank. (Renn 1971)

Gatehouse Comments

Doubtful as a castle since Anstey Hall Motte and Bailey nearby and unlikely to be a precursor since both small and not as near to parish church as Anstey Hall. This would be an ordinary homestead moat if it did not have a pyramidal mound in it. Is this mound an original feature, a later landscaping feature to produce a 'summer house' or just a collapsed square (?cob) building?

- 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 ReferenceTL411328
Latitude51.9764595031738
Longitude0.0539299994707108
Eastings541170
Northings232880
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 38 (mention)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 218
  • Renn, D.F., 1971, Medieval Castles in Hertfordshire (Chichester: Phillimore) p. 9 (plan), 13 (doubtful)
  • RCHME, 1910, An inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire (London: HMSO) p. 35 online transcription

Journals

  • Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol. 33 p. 106-12 (listed as precursor to Anstey)