Rickmansworth; The More

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Manor of the More; Rykmersworth; Moor Park

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

The buried remains of the Manor of the More, a great house of the late medieval period (with antecedents in a moated site dating from C13) lie on the south side of the flood plain of the Colne Valley. The site was excavated between 1952 and 1955, demonstrating two main phases of occupation before and after 1426, when a royal licence was granted for the construction of a large building. Three main periods of construction were identified prior to this date as well as three successive periods of adaption and aggrandisement. The earliest reference to the site dates from circa 1182 when the Manor of the More was granted by the Abbot of St Albans to Adam Aignel. Excavation uncovered no evidence as early as this, although by circa 1250-1300 (Period I) a small double island moated site had been constructed. The intervening arm, separating the two moats, was filled in around 1300-1350 (Period II) and partly overlain by a kitchen building. The construction work in Period III (c1350-1429) may coincide with the death of John Aignel in 1364 and saw the development of a new timber house on the northern island. This house was swept away in 1426 when Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, William Flete and others (Bishop of Durham), obtained a charter licensing them to construct an elaborate moated manor house. The house, constructed shortly thereafter (period IV) overlay the former dwelling. licensed again in 1458 to Sir Ralph Boteler. In the 1460s the house passed to George Neville, Archbishop of York, who elaborated on the work of his predecessors up to 1472 (period V). In 1522 the manor was in the hands of Cardinal Wolsley and was thus greatly embellished (period VI) with the addition of new wings and formal gardens. In 1531, the year after the cardinal's fall from favour, the manor was ceded to the Crown. Work continued on the complex (period VII), perhaps completing projects begun by Wolsey which include reversing the effects of neglect in the gardens. Other changes included creating King's and Queen's lodgings and a hunting park. (PastScape)
The licence of 1426 also allow the emparking of 600 acres of land in Rikmersworth and Watford. Site covered with dumped clay.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ082940

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 395304
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 829; 10919 '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) p49 [slight]
    Keevill, Graham D., 2000, Medieval Palaces, An Archaeology (Stroud; Tempus) p30, 62-4, 70, 154, 163
    Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p327
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p168, 175, 186, 188
    Thurley, Simon, 1993, The Royal Palaces of Tudor England (Yale University Press) p44, 50, 58, 74, 78, 114-5, 173, 192, 193
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p222
    Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) (London) p164-9
    Renn, D.F., 1971, Medieval Castles in Hertfordshire (Chichester; Phillimore) p22
    Montgomerie, 1908, Page, Wm (ed), VCH Hertfordshire Vol2 p375
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol2 (London) p131-3
    Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p421
• Journal Articles
  • Falvey, Heather, 1993, 'The More, Rickmansworth's lost palace' Hertfordshire's Past Vol34 p2-16
    Biddle, M., Barfield, L. and Millard, A., 1959, 'The Excavation of the Manor of the More near Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire' Archaeological Journal Vol116 p136-199
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls (1422-29) p351
    Calendar of Patent Rolls (1446-52) p422