Washingley Hall Farm

Description

Small motte and bailey, formerly thought to be a moat, which forms part of Washingley deserted Mediaeval village. The motte is 2.6m high, and the bailey ditch has been mutilated by building and ploughing. (PastScape)

A large area containing a number of small isolated sites, the largest being a motte and bailey, formerly thought to be a moat, at TL/135-/890-. The motte is small, some 2.6m high, and the bailey ditch has been mutilated by building and ploughing. To the E of the motte and bailey, centred to TL/1373/8898, are a group of small circular mounds with surrounding ditches, which are probably barrows but without excavation definite classification is impossible; the mound at TL/1304/8907 also falls into the above category. ........The two sarsen stones mentioned by RCHM are erratics. The ponds within the area are in good condition, the Otter pond at TL/129-890-appears to be no more than a drainage moat, the island being too small to accommodate a building. All surveyable features revised at1:2500. There are no surveyable remains of desertion, the area scheduled by the ministry (see blue banded area on 6in centred toTL/133-/893-) is disturbed and seems the most likely, although there is no coherent pattern. (Cambs HER)

The main sunken road of this village which runs along the centre of the scheduled area, is very fine. The rest of the site is deeply marked by numerous earthworks, but when visited, the site was so overgrown with undergrowth and 6ft high nettles, that it was not possible to make out a coherent plan. The air photograph however shows the street very clearly and various typical enclosures. The whole of the northern slopes of the scheduled area are very wet with pools of water lying in some areas. The area is under rough pasture with patches of nettles and thistles and scrub, especially in the eastern strip. There is a ditch running E - W across the W section of the area. This is obviously not acting as an efficient water channel as the flow was sluggish, even in very wet conditions. The main sunken way is very marked, running N - S between the two centre ponds. Other earthworks which are of varying height are well preserved if difficult to interpret. They are only slight to NE. Marked ridge and furrow was noted in the extreme NW of the site. This did not appear in the ploughed field to N, although the sunken way was quite clearly visible as a depression in the ploughsoil. The mound marked to S appears more rectangular than circular. Could this be the platform for the church? The field to E of scheduled area next to the road is also full of substantial earthworks. Is there a reason why this is not included in the area? The maplet attached to AM7 is misleading as the northern boundary appears to run straight through from the E. (Cambs HER)

Comments

Although the DMV is scheduled (National Heritage List no 1006850) the motte and bailey seem to be outside the scheduled area.