Monument record 2106/1 - Clifford Hill Castle (Motte & Bailey)

Clifford Hill is a large castle motte surviving as an earthwork and is probably of 11th or 12th century in date. The motte is 14 metres high and is surrounded by a ditch up to 5 metres deep. The summit has been levelled by the construction of a 17th century bowling green. Scheduled

{1} T.C. Welsh provide alternative explanation for earthworks at Clifford Hill. Rejects RCHME explanation of " a series of rounded and ill-defined terraces and mounds, as a result of landslips" and believes instead that the motte was created in up to four stages (see report RN8060013) for details.

{4} Motte (SP 80606063) known as Clifford Hill, lies N of the village, on the edge of the R.Nene, on Boulder Clay and Lias Clay at 54 m. above OD. The motte is of exceptional size, standing some 14 m. high above the surrounding land. Though once circular in plan and regular in form, it is now considerably altered and damaged on its S side, where the steep side has been reduced to a series of rounded and ill-defined terraces and mounds, as a result of landslips. The summit of the motte is flat and featureless, but its former circular shape has been changed, following the collapse of the S side. The mound is surrounded by a large ditch up to 5 m. deep, but again on the S side there are indications that this ditch has been recut, following the slipping of the side of the motte above it, which perhaps partly filled it. On the N there is a steep drop, which forms a narrow rampart-like feature, 4 m. high above the R.Nene. On the S is a wide and much spread outer bank which has been interpreted as additional defences. This may have originated as the spoil removed from the blocked S ditch after the landslip, though its present form is the result of subsequent ploughing. A low bank, formed partly by the old river cliff, extends W from the motte ditch and is truncated by the later mill pond. This may be part of a bailey but the evidence is inadequate. Part of the site was dug into in 1900 ' but nothing was found that is worth recording'. The motte, presumably of C11th or C12th date, was clearly built to control a ford across the R.Nene, leading from Little Houghton to Little Billing. However nothing is known of its early history beyond the fact that it bore its present name in the C13th. The name has no significance except as a description of the motte's situation on the cliff near a ford. The lack of any documented history concerning one of the largest mottes in England may be due to its early collapse. It is constructed from Lias Clay which is notoriously unstable when wet and the landslips on its S side, as well as the attempted restoration of the ditch, may have taken place soon after it was built. The present flat summit is apparently due to the construction of a bowling green there in the C17th. Before this the motte was alleged to have been higher.

{6} The motte castle of Clifford Hill lies to the north of the present village beside the River Nene. The site owes its name to its situation on a cliff, close to the old ford crossing of the River Nene from Little Houghton to Little Billing. The detailed history of the site is not known, but the present name of the site is recorded in the 13th century. The summit of the motte saw later use as a bowling green in the 17th century.

{7} An article of 1878 about the Nene Valley interprets Clifford's Hill as a possible Roman fort- "A mile and a half above Cogenhoe we find a strong Roman outpost, or fort, in the form of an artificial hill, called Clifford's Hill—evidently from its name, in connection with some ford, which it was requisite to watch. This mound rises from the meadows sixty feet from the water, and has an area of about ninety feet on its top."

{10} [SP 80606063). Clifford Hill CASTLE MOUND [LB].

{11} A very large, but quite simple, castle mound with entrance at the SW. An outer bank on the south and accentuation of a natural river terrace to the north have provided additional defences. Published 25" survey and current field document revised.

{12} No change. Survey of 14.2.66 correct but incorrectly transferred to field document, hence published plan (O.S. 25" 1967) has an error.

{13}(SP 80606063). Clifford's Hill. Many fragments of 18th century clay pipe stems picked up. Bridges records how the top of the mound was levelled for a bowling green.

{14} Listed by Cathcart King.

{20} Clifford Hill castle mound is scheduled. There seems to be an outwork along the river bank.

{22} Plans and sections with measurements;

<1> WELSH T.C., 1996, CORRESPONDENCE, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN47746.

<2> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.405 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<3> Lanning K.; Pearson V.; Walker D., 1995, Castles in Northamptonshire: A Resource Pack for Teachers, (unchecked) (Educational Resource Pack). SNN75536.

<4> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.87 site 28 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77380.

<5> Kenyon J.R., 2008, Castles, Town Defences and Artillery Fortifications in the United Kingdom and Ireland: A Bibliography 1945 - 2006, (unchecked) (Bibliography). SNN106309.

<6> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (unchecked) (Report). SNN47128.

<7> 1878, The Archaeological Journal (35), 35/345 (Journal). SNN15197.

<8> Petrie, J, 2019, Mottes and 'Ringworks', Wednesday 10th April 2019 (Gazetteer). SNN111445.

<9> The Round Mounds Project, 2016, Radiocarbon dates from 10 castle mounds – results of year 1 (Website). SNN111626.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1885, First Editon OS Map (12SW) (Map). SNN109597.

<11> Harper, F R, 1966, Field Investigators Comments, 14-FEB-66 (Note). SNN110348.

<12> Colquhoun, FD, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, 30-NOV-70 (Notes). SNN111540.

<13> Brown A.E. (ed.), 1980, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1979, P. 173 (Article). SNN56490.

<14> Cathcart King, D J, 1983, Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands, P. 316 (Book). SNN112899.

<15> 1900, NORTHANTS EXLPORATION SOCIETY - ANNUAL REPORT (Uncertain). SNN59870.

<16> Gover J.E.B.; Mawer A.; Stenton F.M. (Eds.), 1933, The Place-names of Northamptonshire, p. 149 (Series). SNN5881.

<17> Ryland, W, Adkins, D, and Serjeantson, R M, 1902, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, P. 218 (Series). SNN100368.

<18> Salzman L.F.(ed), 1937, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, P. 266-7 (Series). SNN100371.

<19> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p. 371 (Book). SNN77325.

<20> BROWN G.B., 1926, The Arts In Early England (Vol.1): The life of Saxon England in its relation to the arts, p. 111 (Series). SNN116467.

<21> Historic England, Undated, Clifford Hill Castle (Archive). SNN116468.

<22> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/158/3-6 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:04PM