Brill Hunting Lodge

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brehull

In the civil parish of Brill.
In the historic county of Buckinghamshire (Modern Authority of Buckinghamshire, 1974 county of Buckinghamshire).

Earthwork comprising bank and ditch lie north of the church. A hunting lodge which Edward the Confessor had at Brill and which remained in royal hands until 1337 has been suggested, and pottery identified as Iron Age or Saxon has been found. Alternatively a Civil War date for the earthwork has been suggested. "The manor was part of the ancient demesnes of the crown, and it is said with much apparent probability, that the Saxon kings had a palace here, which was a favourite residence of King Edward the confessor. It is certain that our monarchs had a palace at Brill for some time after the conquest: King Henry II. kept his court there in 1160, attended by Thomas a Becket as his chancellor; he was there again with his court in 1162. King John, in 1203, gave the manor of Brill to his chaplain, Walter Borstard, appointing him keeper of the royal palace there. Recorded as a royal hunting lodge in 1217. King Henry III. kept his court at Brill in 1224: Hugh de Neville had livery of the manor in 1226. In 1233, Brill appears to have been the property of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, for we are told by Matthew Paris, that his lands and houses there were at that time laid waste by Richard Sward and other exiles. In 1346, the manor of Brill was granted to Sir John Molins" (Lyson and Lyson)

This site has been described as a;
Palace.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP656139

PastScape number; 340949

Books

Colvin, H.M., Brown, R.Allen and Taylor, A.J., 1963, The history of the King's Works Vol2: the Middle Ages (London: HMSO) p902-3
RCHME, 1912, An inventory of the historical monuments in Buckinghamshire Vol1 [south] p67
Lysons S. and Lysons D.,1806, Magna Britannia: Buckinghamshire

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1217-25) p124-5

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Brill Hunting Lodge

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP656139

Sources of information, references and further reading