Mount Bures

In the civil parish of Mount Bures. In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

The steep-sided earthwork, 60m in diameter at the base, survives to 10m above the present ground surface, and is surrounded by a dry ditch c.3.5m deep and between 10m and 12m wide. Very little evidence of the bailey appeared to have survived. No evidence of a stockade or major fortification ditches was found, although the presence of two parallel ditches indicate a palisade. The Norman church stands immediately south of the mound and may originally have stood within the bailey. The work is on high ground which drops sharply towards a stream to the W; on the slope is a nearly rectangular area scarped on three sides, with an oblong depression near the W side. This is probably the site of a terraced garden to the hall. Plan and section of motte in RCHME. J.H. Round said 'I have been disposed to think that Mount Bures may have been the castle of the Sackvilles, raised perhaps in the anarchy under Stephen (1135-1154) or possibly under Henry I (1100-1135)' However the early C12 date of the church and the scale in proportions of the motte suggest that it is an early example of its type.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL90453255

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 384608
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 9161 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.mount-bures.co.uk/Motte.htm
• Books
  • Neville, David, 2003, Lost Castles of Essex (Ian Henry) p89
    Cooper, Janet (ed), 2001, VCH Essex Vol10 p68-71 [poor] http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=15161
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p36
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p76 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p145
    RCHME, 1922, An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex. Vol3 [north-east] pp185-6
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Gould, Chalkley, 1903, in Doubleday, Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Essex Vol1 p290
• Journal Articles
  • Clarke, R., 2002, 'Contour survey of Mount Bures' Essex Archaeology and history Vol33 p378-80
    McMaster, I.,1972, Colchester Archaeological Group annual Bulletin Vol15 p16-18
    McMaster, I., 1970, Essex Journal p62-9 [Reprint of 1969 article]
    McMaster, I., 1969, Colchester Archaeological Group annual Bulletin Vol12 p30-39
    Round, J.H., 1906, Essex Archaeological Society transactions Vol9 p21 [King gives Gould as the author of this]
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Walker, Steve, 1993, The Norman Motte and Bailey Castle in the Manor of Mount Bures in 1086