Bannister Green Quakers Mount (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Felsted.
In the historic county of Essex.
Modern Authority of Essex.
1974 county of Essex.
Medieval County of Essex.

OS Map Grid Reference: TL69522042
Latitude 51.85663° Longitude 0.46022°

Bannister Green Quakers Mount has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

Description

Called suspect low motte by King although not put in his 'possible' list which would equate to the Gatehouse questionable category. Mound, probably site of a wind mill, c100ft in diameter at base and 12ft high. Artificial mound in garden of cottage, known as Mill Cottage, c3.5 high, flat top c16.2m x 10.6m. Originally may have been circular but it seems that a sloping extension was built on the east side from the top of the mound down to the road. A wet moat surrounds roughly half the perimeter on the west side of the mound. The south side of the faces the front of the cottage and has been made into a rockery. Excavated 1946-1947. Quaker burials found (see 1256). Tithe map of 1844 marks it as Mill Hill, cottage as Mill Cottage. No finds from excavations could be used to date the mound. It is generally thought to be a tumulus, also used as a mill mound and Quaker burial ground. OS 1975-feature takes advantage of exposed position in level area.. Appearance and shape are typical of windmill steads in the region. Tail of the mound at the east end and the surrounding semi-circular ditch are indicative. Ditch is shallow, waterfilled, cut seems contemporary with mound. No evidence it ever completely surrounded the mound. Disused by C17 its appearance and name are conclusive of its use and probable origin. (Derived from Unlocking Essex's Past)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 376413.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 1254; 1255; 1256.

Books
- Osbourne, Mike, 2013, Defending Essex (Stroud: The History Press) p. 24
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 144
  RCHME, 1921, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex Vol. 2 (central and south-west) p. 84 no. 109 online transcription
  Gould, Chalkley, 1903, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Doubleday, Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Essex Vol. 1 p. 294 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Trow, C., 1948, Essex Review Vol. 57 p. 100-103 (unprofitable excavation report)
  French, J., 1909, Essex Archaeological Society Transactions Vol. 10 p. 258
  French, J., 1892, 'A mound without a History' Essex Naturalist Vol. 6 p. 100-1 online copy

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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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