Eaton Bray Manor

In the civil parish of Eaton Bray.
In the historic county of Bedfordshire (Modern Authority of Bedfordshire, 1974 county of Bedfordshire).

Earthwork remains of a moated fortified manor house with associated fishponds, known from documentary evidence to have been built in 1221 and rebuilt in the reign of Henry VIII. Empty and in poor condition by 1675 but repaired circa 1692. Barns, stables and other outbuildings, including a dovecote and a malthouse were documented. Demolished in 1794 and the site cleared and turned over to pasture by 1849. Described as a castle in 1221 by monks of Dunstable Priory and this is usually said to be an overstatement by nervous monks. "In 1273 an interesting account of Eaton Bray Manor, unfortunately torn, includes the following particulars of the castle:—A manor inclosed with a wall, and moat and two drawbridges; within the principal inclosure is a hall with two chambers at the ends (capita) of the hall. The chamber beyond the pantry and buttery was covered with tiles. There is mention of a great chamber, a foreign chamber (camera forinseca), a garderobe, a house for a larder used as a kitchen because there was no kitchen, a drawbridge towards the park, a new chapel and a granary. In the other bailey, probably the outer bailey, there were stables for sixty horses, covered with tiles, a grange, cow-houses, pigsties and other outbuildings covered with straw. There were two gardens outside the inclosure, the one containing 3 roods and the other an acre. The park contained 28 acres of wood." (VCH Vol3)

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP96032102

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; 346552