Anstey Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Anstey Hall; Anestie; Anesty

In the civil parish of Anstey. In the historic county of Hertfordshire (Modern Authority of Hertfordshire, 1974 county of Hertfordshire).

C12 motte and bailey castle with barbican and strong outworks, the additions ordered to be destroyed in 1218. Last documented in 1377. During excavations in the early C20, Roman sherds were found.
The large flat-topped motte is 34 feet hign, with a wet ditch and an L-shaped bailey to the east... A trapezoidal foundation of uncut flints 18 inches deep in the boulder clay of the motte top was found in 1902... The castle is said to have been built by the Domesday owner of the manor, count Eustace of Boulogne; in 1218 Nicholas de Anstey was ordered to reduce his castle, which was in the king's hands in 1225. (Renn)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL40433296

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 370794
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 27 '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.castleuk.net/castle_lists_east_anglia/167/ansteycastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p38
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p104
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p134, 187, 356
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p218
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p178
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker) p50, 90
    Renn, D.F., 1971, Medieval Castles in Hertfordshire (Chichester; Phillimore) p7, 9 [plan], 13
    Page, Wm (ed), 1914, VCH Hertfordshire Vol4 p11-12
    RCHME, 1910, An inventory of the historical monuments in Hertfordshire p35, 37
    Montgomerie, 1908, Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hertfordshire Vol2 p112
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p107
    Beamon, S.P., Doig, T. and Jones, P., 1982, 'Anstey castle mound, Herts. Interim report 1981' Subterranea Britannica Bulletin Vol16 p16-19
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Braun, Hugh, 1938, Proceedings of the St Albans and Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Vol5 p203-4
    Transactions of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Vol12 p44
    Transactions of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Vol3 p217-9
    Andrews, R.T., 1902-4, Transactions of the East Hertfordshire Archaeological Society Vol2 p114-8
    Clark, G.T., 1889, 'Contribution towards a complete list of moated mounds or burhs' The Archaeological Journal Vol46 p197-217 esp205 http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeologicaljo46brit#page/197/mode/1up
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • R.Litt.Claus., i, 350a
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1216-25) p543
    Rickard, John, 2002, The Castle Community. The Personnel of English and Welsh Castles, 1272-1422 (Boydell Press) [lists sources for 1272-1422] p253
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/buckseng.html#herts2]