Totternhoe Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Totternhoe Knolls

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

The motte comprises a conical mound surrounded by a broad ditch on all but the south west side. It is enclosed between two baileys. The smaller, western bailey is oval in plan and defined by a bank, while the eastern bailey is triangular in plan with a well shaft, known as the 'Money Pit' towards its west side. The third bailey lies immediately to the east. It is rectangular in plan and extends eastward along the spur. The earliest written reference to the castle dates from between 1170 and 1176. The medieval quarries lie on the hillside below and to the north and north west of the motte. They survive as a series of infilled pits, spoil heaps and extraction scars. East of the castle, a series of cultivation terraces or lynchets can be seen. These descend 30 metres from the 152 metre contour, forming steps which average 3 metres in height and terraces roughly 5 metres wide. A geophysical survey undertaken in 2001 indicated a buried trackway, running from the western arm of the outer bailey towards a track which still follows the upper terrace. It is thought that these lynchets may have developed during occupation of the castle. (PastScape–ref. Scheduling report)
The VCH suggested that the outer bailey may have been a Roman camp and Dyer suggested the site may have started as an Iron Age promontory fort, but put forward no evidence beyond the obvious similarity with other such sites. However, the 2001 resistivity survey, over the inner and outer baileys revealed evidence for an earlier field system on the outer bailey site, suggesting that the castle was built on the site of a prehistoric and Roman enclosure.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP97892210

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

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 346559
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular '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, or elsewhere.

• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of The Thames Valley and The Chilterns (Malvern) p17
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p4
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p309
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Wadmore, Beauchamp, 1920, The Earthworks of Bedfordshire (Bedford) p139-144
    Allcroft, A. Hadrian, 1908, Earthwork of England (London) p416-7 http://www.archive.org/details/earthworkofengla00allc
    Goddard, A.R., 1904, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Doubleday, H.Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), VCH Bedford Vol1 p293-4
    Lysons, D. and S., 1806, Magna Britannia Vol1 p35
• Journal Articles
  • 2002, South Midlands Archaeology Vol32 p9 [underlying Iron Age/Roman]
    Baker, D., 1982, 'Mottes, Moats and ringworks in Bedfordshire: Beauchamp Wadmore revisited' Château Gaillard Vol9-10 p35-54 [plan]
    1973, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol3 p4
    1971, CBA Group 9: South Midlands Archaeology newsletter Vol1 p15
    Dyer, 1962, Bedfordshire Magazine Vol8 p345-6
    Clark, 1875, The Builder Vol33 p233
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • EH Scheduling amendment, 09-SEP-2003