Manhale

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Manhall, Emanuel Wood, Emmanuel Wood, Paddocks Wood

In the civil parish of Little Chesterford.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

King writes "licensed 1259. Something may have come of this." Before Domesday and the conquest the manor was held by Siward. In 1086 it was held by Alan of Brittany and Geoffrey de Mandeville (with Siward as tenant). The de Mandeville connection becomes confused but in 1199 it was given by King Steven to St Edmund's Abbey. It was held by the Abbot of Walden Abbey. In 1257 it was given to Richard, Earl of Gloucester (not clear if as owner or tenant) who built a castle on his land in Manhall. The manor was in the area of Chesterford Park and two sites are given as a possible location for this castle. The existing triangular moat in Paddocks Wood at TL53704295, the subject of an amateur excavation in the 1970's (NMRN-374302, SMRN-4757) or a 'moat leveled by ploughing' in Emanuel Wood at TL53004154 (NMRN-374293, SMRN-4768). There does not appear to be any remains of an associated village and I can find little to differentiate the two sites as the possible location of the C13 castle. However, the Emanuel Wood site, although more damaged, does appear to be larger and on this bases I slighlty favour this site.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Uncertain remains.

A Royal licence to crenellate was granted in 1259 Nov 7.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL53004154

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 374302, 374293

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 4757, 4768, 4769, 4758