Hockliffe Manor

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

Moated site which lies approximately 100m to the south of the parish Church of St Nicholas, which is detached from the modern village of Hockliffe. The monument consists of a small sub-rectangular moated enclosure set within a square platform which projects from the natural slope of the hillside. The platform is adjacent, on the north, west, and south, to a series of further building platforms and closes which provide evidence of an associated settlement. The hillside to the south west of the of the building platforms and the moated site retains evidence of former cultivation earthworks (ridge and furrow) related to the occupation of the settlement. A section excavated in 1909 across the ditch surrounding the central island produced pottery and a number of metal objects dated to the medieval period. The moated site can be identified as a messuage (dwelling) within the estate of Hockliffe Manor in records which date to C13. Possible castle.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP96612684

PastScape number; 346491

Books

Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p17 [slight]
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p8
Page, Wm (ed), 1912, 'Parishes: Hockliffe', VCH Bedford Vol3 p383-86 [manorial history only]
Doubleday, H.Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), 1904, VCH Bedford Vol1 p305 [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42451]

Journal Articles

Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p35-54

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Hockliffe Manor

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP96612684

Sources of information, references and further reading