Scheduled MonumentsEnglandCambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol

Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol

England
List entry 1006905
Nation
England
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Cambridge Castle is a motte and bailey fortress constructed by the Normans in the aftermath of the 1066 conquest, positioned strategically within the town of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. The castle's earthwork defences, comprising a substantial mound surrounded by ditches, remain a prominent topographical feature and represent one of the surviving examples of Norman military architecture in the East Midlands. Beneath and around the castle lie archaeological deposits spanning earlier periods of occupation, including evidence of Iron Age defended settlement and Roman settlement activity, attesting to Cambridge's long history as a significant inhabited place. The site has undergone numerous transformations across the centuries, serving as a military stronghold, administrative centre, and latterly as a county gaol, before Civil War siege works modified its physical character during the mid-seventeenth century.

Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006905. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol?

Cambridge Castle is a motte and bailey fortress constructed by the Normans in the aftermath of the 1066 conquest, positioned strategically within the town of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006905.

Who is responsible for protecting Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol?

Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol 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 1006905.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Site revealed by aerial photography W of White Hill Farm (5.5 km), Settlement complex N of Hauxton (6.7 km), Causewayed enclosure at Great Shelford (6.8 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Cambridge motte and bailey castle, Civil War earthworks and the buried remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, Roman town and former county gaol