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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Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Totternhoe Knolls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).
Motte and three baileys occupies the west end of a notable promontory, overlooking Dunstable and Watling Street. The commanding position of the site has been exaggerated through extensive quarrying of the local chalk deposits from the medieval period to the present day. Excavated between 1921-1932. Resistivity survey, in 2001, 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 has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence
that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law.
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SP97892210
PastScape number;
346559
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
Doubleday, H.Arthur and Page, Wm (eds), 1904, 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
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