Monument record 0036704000 - CHURCH FARM, SAUNDERTON

Plan Form - RECTANGULAR
ORIGINALLY 2 MANORS, 1 MAY WELL HAVE OCCUPIED SITE S OF PRESENT CHURCH: MOATED SITE CONVERTED FROM CASTLE BAILEY, ?MANOR OF ST MARY (PLAN)(B3,B9).
C.1950 W SIDE OF MOAT FILLED TO DEPTH OF C.0.30M WITH SLURRY FROM LAKE (B10-11).
EXISTING MOAT IN GOOD CONDITION (B12).


A motte and bailey castle near the Church of SS Mary and Nicholas, Saunderton (Area SP 795 018), is almost bliterated, with the motte hardly visible. There are still traces of a bailey to the NW of the motte. To the SE a stronger bailey has been converted into a moated site. The condition is poor and much altered (b9) Plan (b3). (Nothing visible on available RAF APs 1946). (B9 and B3).

There is no ground evidence to suggest this is the remains of a motte and baileys. The feature referred to as the motte at SP 79600187 is a natual low rise exaggerated by the moat arm cutting on the S side and no trace of possible bailey banking exists to the NW. There is no evidence of internal enclosure banking of the moat (centred SP 79630180), and although greatly mutilated it retains its original dimensions and shape as a homestead moat. It formerly measured overall c 90.0m E-W by c 130.0m N-S, with arms varying between c 15.0m and c 240m in width, and 2.0m and 4.5m in depth. Stream recutting has destroyed any former external banking on the E side (possibly not needed owing to low lying marshy ground), and modern mutilation has left little of the W arm remaining. There is no trace of a contemporary structure within the pastured interior but excavations in c 1952 by J F Head (a) at SP 79620181 revealed a 5ft length of mortar wall base and a butted worn sarsen stone. 14th century pottery was found in association with the walling. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 (B16).
Scheduled listing (B14).

NRHE Insert 1999, Update 2001, 2003, and 2004 (B17).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.