Possible late Anglo-Saxon castle and moat, Clavering Castle, Clavering (EHER 113)

Clavering may be the site of a pre-conquest castle, as it is possibly one of those to which the French party at Edward's court fled to in 1052.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 113, 114, and 49505. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: The main defensive work comprises a strong, rectangular enclosure 150m east-west x 100m north-south, with part waterfilled arms about 26m wide x 5m deep. The interior of the enclosure is at the same level as the surrounding ground level and contains building robber trenches though these have been disturbed by later digging. Morant speaks of castle walls "not long since in being" but no evidence survives today. An original entrance crosses the south-east angle but has been disturbed by a later trackway. Associated with the northern retaining bank of the enclosure ditch is a series of earthen banks, channels and two pond bays associated with a former water mill. Identification and dating of these works is uncertain. A dam is associated with the mill. The RCHM noted slight remains of earthworks east and west of the main work but too imperfect to allow any estimate of their use. According to OS card the moat is in fairly good condition, as are earthworks of castle and mill. Earthworks east and west of the main work, mentioned by RCHM, too slight to be mapped. Those on the east side are so irregular they suggest gravel digging operations many years ago. The historian J.H Round, identified Clavering Castle with 'Robert's Castle', to which, according to the Saxon Chronicle, certain Normans fled in AD 1052, suggesting a pre-Norman date for this work. <1> - <8> According to village tradition a bridge crossed the moat at TL 47043185, where a possible Anglo-Saxon inhumation was found and other bones reported (see EHER 116). <9> Irregularity of surface suggests presence of foundations. Scheduled area also includes a further piece of land (bailey?) north of the island and bounded to the north by the River Stone. <10> TL 471320. Clavering Castle. Scheduled No. 12. <11> Listed by Cathcart King. <12> 1975. Field survey. Clavering Castle (name confirmed) a defensive moat with later earthworks of a water mill (Authy 3). The main defensive work comprises a strong rectangular enclosure 150.0m east-west by 100.0m north-south with part waterfilled arms about 26.0m wide by 5.0m deep. The interior of the enclosure is at the same level as the surrounding ground level, and contains building robber trenches, though these have been disturbed by later digging. No evidence of walling as mentioned by Morant survives today. An original entrance crosses the south-east angle but this has been disturbed by a later trackway. Associated with the northern retaining bank of the enclosure ditch is a series of earthen banks, channels and two pond bays associated with a former watermill. Identification and dating of these works is uncertain. Published survey (25") revised. <13> 2020. Resistivity survey. The resistivity survey of Clavering’s New Churchyard and Dam meadow revealed a number of features of potential archaeological interest. A number of linears were identified, the same alignment is indicated in the map of 1783 for the eastern and western boundaries of the parish church of St Mary and St Clement, Clavering. The survey in the Dam meadow (south) has indicated a High Resistance anomaly suggested as a causeway/revetment. This is on a relatively constant north-east to south-west alignment and if extended to the east would abut the north-west corner of the western arm of the moat of Clavering Castle. Resistance readings perhaps suggest rectilinear structures abutting the south side of the suggested causeway/revetment, perhaps associated with the draining of the linears. One of the ditches when excavated in the New Graveyard produced pottery dating from the 9th to early 13th century. <14> See also: <15> - <20>