Tempsford Town Defences

Has been described as a Rejected Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameTempsford Town Defences
Alternative Names
Historic CountryBedfordshire
Modern AuthorityBedfordshire
1974 AuthorityBedfordshire
Civil ParishTempsford

'There are no significant above-ground remains of former medieval town defences or gates at … Tempsford' (Creighton and Higham).

Bond dates this as C10 and puts in his 'New Anglo-Saxon burghal forts of no later urban significance' list.

Turner writes "The fort is usually said to be Cannock's Castle."

Gatehouse Comments

Is this the same as Gannock's Castle? The evidence that Tempsford was the site of the recorded Danish fortification of 921 is slight - Dyer considered that Beeston Berrys is a more likely site for the Danish fortress, although it is about 5 km. from Tempsford. - There seems to be no evidence whatsoever that Tempsford was an Anglo-saxon communal burghal site or the site of an urban defences of any sort at any time.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTL160529
Latitude52.1632881164551
Longitude-0.30281001329422
Eastings516000
Northings252900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 264
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy
  • Dyer, 1972, in Fowler, P.J. (ed), Archaeology and the landscape: essays for L V Grinsell p. 224-6
  • Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 138

Primary Sources

  • Ingram, James, (ed) 1912, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Everyman Press, London) AD921 view online transcription (Ingram's translation and notes date from 1823. More recent translations of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles should be consulted for serious study)