The Gatehouse website record for Akenham

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Whitton; The Island; Rise Hall

In the civil parish of Akenham. In the historic county of Suffolk (Modern Authority of Suffolk, 1974 county of Suffolk).

King writes "low moated mound, possible motte" PastScape report as "Possible Medieval moated site."
Small moated site with a central island 14.0m across and 0.3m high. Ditch is waterfilled on the W side and parts of the N and S sides, the remainder is merely marshy. There are traces of a causeway in the middle of the E side. On the lower W side there are small fragments of a probable retaining wall for the moat. Site lies just S of Rise Hall and it is likely that this moat accommodated a timber-framed dovecote. (Suffolk HER)
Possibly the precussor site for RIse Hall. How unusual is it for a dovecot to moated? A moat might protect the dovecot from poachers but would be expensive to build and maintain. On the other hand reusing an existing moat would make sense. The mound is small and there is no attached bailey, Rise Hall being about 50m to the north, in an oval enclosure partly defined by ponds. Mottes slightly separate from baileys do occasionally occur but make no sense as defensive features. Was this moated mound a fundamentally symbolic feature?

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TM14654859

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 388161
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is AKE 009 '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.

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