Fakenham Magna (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Burnthall Platation

In the civil parish of Fakenham Magna.
In the historic county of Suffolk.
Modern Authority of Suffolk.
1974 county of Suffolk.
Medieval County of Suffolk.

OS Map Grid Reference: TL91207607
Latitude 52.34942° Longitude 0.80579°

Fakenham Magna has been described as a probable Timber Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

Circular earthwork comprising a large bank with an outer ditch recorded in Burnthall Plantation. Possibly a medieval ringwork and scheduled as such. The monument comprises a pennanular enclosure with an overall diameter of 110m. The ditch is 13m wide and 2m deep with an inner bank up to 1.4m high and 9m wide. A section of the bank 30m long has been flattened on the western side. There is a counterscrap bank 0.4m high and 1.4m wide. On the north west side a causway 5m wide crosses the ditch marking the entrance. (PastScape)

Situated on a low spur projecting into the floodplain on the east bank of the river. Flood plain location of such a massive earthwork enclosure is remarkable and recalls that of some henges. Domesday Survey records the manor as belonging to Peter de Valognes who held lands in six eastern counties. Burnthall may have been the head of his estate in Suffolk. (Suffolk HER)

Comments

Does seem a somewhat unusual location for a manorial centre, but the earthwork seem too substantial to be anything other than a ringwork castle. Was an existing site (?henge) enlarged and modified by the, relatively insignificant, de Valognes family to become their caput. In Suffolk, were there were many free tenants finding manpower to build a castle may have been a problem and a modification of an existing ringditch into a ringwork may have been all that could be afforded or managed with the available tied serfs.

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1017789, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number 31086
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 385394.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) FKM 005.

Books
- Martin, Edward, 1999 (3edn), 'Medieval Castles' in Dymond, David and Martin, Edward (eds) An Historical Atlas of Suffolk (Lavenham) p. 58-9
  Clarke, W.G. (2edn revised by R.R. Clarke), 1937, In Breckland Wilds p. 164
  Fox, Cyril, 1923, The archaeology of the Cambridge region p. 137, 141
  Wall, 1911, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Suffolk Vol. 1 p. 590 online copy
  Rye, Walter (ed), 1901, VCH Norfolk Vol. 1 p. 265 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Clarke, R.R., 1939, 'The Iron Age in Norfolk and Suffolk' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 96 p. 107 online copy
  1896, Cambridge Antiquarian Society's Communication Vol. 9 p. 93

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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