Berden; The Rookery (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Cumber Hills

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

OS Map Grid Reference: TL46582919
Latitude 51.94203° Longitude 0.13117°

Berden; The Rookery has been described as a certain Timber Castle.

There are no visible remains.

Description

Small ringwork Excavated by Knocker, finds included C12-C13 pottery. Surrounded by a U-shaped ditch, overall diameter c180ft, central area 72ft across. Ditch 5-6ft deep, filled with c2ft of wet silt. Finds also included a C12 pot in the make-up of the bank, a C13 pot in the central hearth. A map of 1602 shows the earthworks somewhat sketchily as a rectangle (with S P Plowden at Berden Hall?). On an RAF photo donated by Mrs Angela Colne, a note says 'The interior of this work is boggy and contains water. Destroyed by ploughing and the name 'The Rookery' is no longer used locally (1975). The field in which the earthwork stands was called 'Cumber Hills' in 1839. 1950 the moat was permanently dry for half its circumference on the south side. It is suggested that it was unfinished and that it predated the similar site at TL 46952895. By 1966 the site had been completely ploughed out. Excavation 1954 by G.M. Knocker on behalf of the DOE. Report TEAS NS 25, 258 suggests C12-C13 date on basis of finds. (Derived from Unlocking Essex's Past)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 370263.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) 3854.

Books
- Osbourne, Mike, 2013, Defending Essex (Stroud: The History Press) p. 24
  Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 23
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 143
  Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 107
  RCHME, 1916, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex Vol. 1 (north-west) p. 26 No. 22 online transcription
Periodical Articles
- King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol. 3 p. 90-127
  Knocker, G.M., 1958, 'The Rookery and ringwork at Berden, Essex' Essex Archaeological Society Transactions Vol. 25 p. 257-62

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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.

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