South Mymms Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; South Mimms; castle on the Lea; Super Lviam

In the civil parish of Potters Bar. In the historic county of Middlesex (Modern Authority of Hertfordshire, 1974 county of Hertfordshire).

Motte and bailey castle probably built in C12 with occupation extending into C14. The motte was preceded by a timber structure. A castle assumed to have been built by Geoffrey de Mandeville, earl of Essex (d. 1144), on his manor of Mimms c. 1141, was discovered in 1918. Excavations in 1960-7 revealed a simple but well appointed motte-and-bailey castle, with a structure beneath the bailey bank which may have been the church granted to Walden in 1136 or may represent earlier manorial buildings. The castle seems to have been sacked by King Stephen's forces but pottery finds indicate the later domestic use of the bailey, probably in connexion with the working of the adjacent chalk pits. Charters granted to Manderville in 1141 mention his 'castle on the Lea' in terms that some have taken to be a licence to crenellate.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL22970260

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 364669
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 95 '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.

• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p48
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p154 [slight]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p279-80
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p269-70
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p300
    Baker, T.F.T. (ed), 1976, 'South Mimms: Manors' VCH Middlesex Vol5 p282 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=26971
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Renn, D.F., 1971, Medieval Castles in Hertfordshire (Chichester; Phillimore) p20-1 [plan]
    1960, The Archaeologist in Essex p31-4
    RCHME, 1937, An inventory of the historical monuments in Middlesex (HMSO) p95
    Round, J.H., 1892, Geoffrey de Mandeville (Oxford) p168, 174-5
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, C., 1994, 'Freedom to Crenellate by Licence - An Historiographical Revision' Nottingham Medieval Studies Vol38 p104n50
    Kent, J.P.C., 1968, 'Excavations at the motte and bailey Castle of South Mimms, Hertfordshire, 1960-67' Barnet and District Local Historical Society Bulletin Vol15
    Davison, 1967, Current Archaeoogy Vol5 p130
    1965 Oct, Bulletin of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol12 p3
    Kent, 1964, CBA Group10 Vol22 p10-11
    1964, Medieval Archaeology Vol8 p255 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    (Kent), 1962-3, Medieval Archaeology Vol6-7 p322 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    (Kent), 1961, Medieval Archaeology Vol5 p318 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Renn, 1957 Nov., Barnet and Distt. Record Socy. Vol10
    Davis, C.L., 1933-7, Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol7 p464-71
    Sands and Dennon, 1933-7, Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Vol7 p175-9
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Regesta Regum Anglo-Normannorum Vol3 p99-103