Abingdon, Serpenhills

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Shippon

In the civil parish of Abingdon.
In the historic county of Berkshire (Modern Authority of Oxfordshire, 1974 county of Oxfordshire).

Site of an earthwork of uncertain age or function on the upper Oxford Road, Abingdon. The siting agrees with an earthwork called `Serpenhills' by Leland in C16. North of Fitzharris motte in an area called Northcourt. This was supposedly the site of C9 battle between the Saxons & the Danes and may represent the remains of their trenches.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SU50389842

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; 237998

• Web site links
  • http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/other_cast.html
• Books
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p13
    
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p35
    Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p76