Scheduled Monuments›England›Anstey motte and bailey castle

Anstey motte and bailey castle

England
List entry 1009453
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1009453
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
1.75 hectares
Grid reference
TL 40474 33005
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Anstey motte and bailey is a Norman fortification located in Hertfordshire, England, dating to the 11th or 12th century. The monument comprises a motte, or artificial mound, with an associated bailey, or defended enclosure, typical of early Norman defensive architecture in England following the Conquest of 1066. The earthwork survives as a substantial topographical feature, preserving the characteristic two-part form that characterises this widespread class of medieval fortification. Such mottes and baileys served as focal points of manorial authority and local defence during the Norman period, though this particular example, like many of its type, was likely superseded by later stone structures or fell out of use as military technology and settlement patterns evolved.

Anstey motte and bailey castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1009453. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Anstey motte and bailey castle?

Anstey motte and bailey is a Norman fortification located in Hertfordshire, England, dating to the 11th or 12th century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1009453.

Who is responsible for protecting Anstey motte and bailey castle?

Anstey motte and bailey castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1009453.

What other scheduled monuments are near Anstey motte and bailey castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pain's End moated site. (0.5 km), Moated mound near Hale Farm (0.7 km), Moated site, Little Cokenach (2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Anstey motte and bailey castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Anstey motte and bailey castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Pain's End moated site.
0.5 km
Moated mound near Hale Farm
0.7 km
Moated site, Little Cokenach
2 km
Moated mound at Cole Green near Brent Pelham
2.8 km
Chamberlain's Moat.
3.3 km
St John's Pelham moated site and fishponds.
4.4 km
Bummers Hill: a bowl barrow 135m north-west of Mutfords Cottages
4.4 km
Shonk's Moat enclosure and fishpond
5 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Anstey motte and bailey castle

Anstey motte and bailey castle stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.

The wider landscape

Around Anstey motte and bailey castle

Great ChesterfordRoman town · ~8.7 milesCambridgeRoman town · ~16.5 milesSt AlbansRoman town · ~23.2 milesBattle of Barnet 1471Battle (1471) · ~24.2 miles
Domesday entry for Anstey, Hertfordshire →
All Scheduled Monuments