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MONUMENT NO. 362774

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A small medieval motte castle located 780 metres south east of Wood Farm, on the northern edge of Greensand Ridge overlooking Cardington, Bedford and the broad plain of the River Ouse. The castle stands on a broad terrace below the summit of the ridge, and was formed by the excavation of a wide ditch around a central mound, or motte, raised from the upcast soil. The motte, which is circular in plan, measures about 20 metres in diameter. It stands approximately 1.8 metres above the level of its surroundings and the surface has a slightly domed profile. The surrounding ditch measures approximately 4.5 metres in width and 1.4 metres in depth, and a low counterscarp bank surrounds the outer edge. The castle is thought to have been constructed in the late 11th or 12th century, either as part of the consolidation of the countryside after the Norman invasion, or as a matter of local defence during the period of sporadic civil war between Stephen and Matilda (1134-1148). Scheduled.

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