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Great Barford; The Creakers

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Renhold 2

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

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
  Confidence: It is probable that this site was a medieval fortification or palace.   Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.
Earthwork motte and bailey standing on level ground consisting of a considerable moat with outer bank, round two sides of a central area. From here a mound, some 4 or 5ft high projects to the south. The inner work is protected on the north west by a strong bank and outer ditch forming two sides of a square and retaining angle. Both works may have formed complete enclosures originally. The manor was held by Sephen Crevequer in 1428. The present mansion is C18. (PastScape)
The tenurial history gives no hint as to the reason for a castle in this isolated position.
This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 36462)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL10555305

Air Photo from multimap logo

Air Photo and general mapping

1st edition OS Map from old maps logo

Mid to late 19th century maps

Modern Map from Ordnance Survey logo

Landscape form and features

Modern Map from streetmap logo

General location and route planning

Geograph British Isles geography.org.uk logo
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 362982
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 818 '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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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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This record last updated on Thursday, December 17, 2009

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