Etonbury, Arlesey

In the civil parish of Arlesey. In the historic county of Bedfordshire (Modern Authority of Bedfordshire, 1974 county of Bedfordshire).

Ringwork and bailey(s) defaced by railway. Record in PastScape as "Supposed Danish earthwork/dock ? Homestead moat/manorial site." but listed as medieval ringwork. King writes - Ringwork with one, or two, baileys and burgus defence (qv); he notes that this earthwork is often ascribed to the Danes.
A probable Danish "harbour" site lies on the River Hiz, but is so mutilated by the construction of the railway and road that its layout is uncertain. (Dyer)
A "rectangular harbour area" measuring 250 ft N-S by 150 ft E-W is apparent, with a smaller enclosure 140 ft by 50 ft leading off from its SW corner. The harbour is fed by a stream running into it from the E, but the location of the original entrance into the river is uncertain. To the N of the harbour are two massive curved banks with external ditches enclosing a fortified area. This may originally have been D-shaped, the straight side abutting the harbour, but it is largely overlaid by the railway. A rough sketch by Lysons (circa 1800) shows an entrance linking the enclosure with the harbour area, but this is no longer visible. It seems certain that it was later used for manorial purposes particularly on the E side (not shown on Dyers' plan). Etonbury, an earthwork of uncertain origin generally as depicted on the plans by Wadmore and Dyer, but since mutilated in the south by a fly-over over the railway, by a sewage trench cut through the centre from N to S in 1972, and by ploughing to the E of Pix Brook. The situation is on the W end of a ridge fading into the drained flood-plain of the River Hiz. (PastScape-field Investigators comments)
Almost certainly manorial earthworks, possibly originally of Saxon date but with the distinct possibility of later alteration, including Norman refortification. An origin as a Danish winter war camp is also not impossible. Earthworks were clearly too large and complex to just be a homestead moat, although a smaller, later, manorial site within the earthworks is possible. Now heavily damaged.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL19273797

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 362431
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 395 '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) p12
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p4
    Dyer, J.F., 1972, 'Earthworks of the Danelaw Frontier' in Fowler, P.J. (ed), 1972, Archaeology and the landscape: essays for L V Grinsell p222-36
    Wadmore, Beauchamp, 1920, The Earthworks of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p57-9
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Goddard, A.R., 1904, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Doubleday, H.Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Bedford Vol1 p279
• Journal Articles
  • Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p35-54
    Kennett, D.H., 1973, Bedfordshire Archaeological Journal Vol8 p138
    King, D.J.C. and Alcock, L., 1969, 'Ringworks in England and Wales' Château Gaillard Vol3 p90-127