Norman ringwork, The Crump, Stock's Farm (EHER 122)

Medieval ringwork, excavations have recovered 12th century pottery and metalwork including horseshoes and nails.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Ring motte. Described first as "early medieval defensive earthwork", 54.5m overall in diameter, consisting of a bank and ditch, the eastern part of the ditch part-filled in and consequently dry. Western half still water filled. <1> <2> Later described as Norman ring work. Excavated by owner. Finds are typical 12th century assemblage of cooking pots, figure of eight bronze stirrup, wavy-edged horseshoes and fiddle key nails. Site is in garden of Stocks Farm about half a mile south of Berden. <3> <4> Bank and outer ditch encloses a saucer-shaped area, measuring 53m overall in diameter. On the south and east sides the moat, now dry, has been partially filled in, while on the west and north sides, the moat still contains water, and is about 6 ft deep. <5> The ditch is now 1.5m deep, waterfilled on the west. The east arm is dry but originally was wet. The bank is 2.9m above the base of the ditch. Within, from the base of the `saucer' to the top of the bank, measures c1m. The only break in the bank is in the south side but there is no contemporary causeway across the ditch. A note on the back of a donated aerial photograph, dated August 1937, states: "Francis Colmer, 'Corndale', Hughenden Road, High Wycombe, Bucks. The interior has been used as a vegetable garden and is now grass. The moat has a fair quantity of water on one side of the circle and is dry on the other. The height of the ramp from the bottom of the fosse is from 10 to 12ft. The inner surface is considerably higher than the surrounding field level. Diameter of interior, exclusive of the inner ramp(?) is about 24 feet". Note on SMR sheet states that the owner excavated a pit on top of the mound, and he has lots of finds in his kitchen. The site is isolated from centres of population (past or present). Ringworks and mottes tend to be built in an existing settlement or else form the nucleus of one. The bank and ditch are massive enough for defence, the bank being the more important feature. In 4 similar sites in East Anglia, 12th-13th century pottery has been found but not enabling the works to be precisely dated. Neither the excavator of this site nor the finds have been located. The earthwork is not definitely classifiable. Letter in record sheds no light on excavations but gives information on ownership in 1938. <6> Pottery picked up suggests occupation to early 13th century at least. Finds kept at Stocks Farm. Owner excavated a small trench in the interior in the 1950s. He found a "clay floor and a packed post hole" about 3ft down. 12 (12th century?) cooking pots, an iron spear head, wavy edged horseshoes and 2-3 fragments of bronze strip were found. Site Assessment = In good condition. A small (Home Guard?) pit in the middle. <7> <8> 1975. Field survey. The Crump (name verified) a circular earthwork situated in the garden of Stocks Farm about a 1/2 mile south of Berden. It comprises a bank and outer ditch which encloses a saucer-shaped area, and measures 53.0m overall diameter. The ditch is 1.5m deep, the west arm waterfilled; the east arm is now dry, though it was originally wet. The bank is 2.9m above the base of the ditch. The interior is not level but distinctly saucer-shaped, the height from base of "saucer" to top of bank being 1.0m. The only break in the bank is on the south side, but there is no corresponding causeway across the ditch. Neither the excavator nor the finds can be located. J.D. Hedges lists this and other similar works in Essex using the term 'ring motte'. S.E. West (Suffolk County Archaeologist) considers that the Suffolk examples may be Danish. In four examples of these constructions in East Anglia, 12 to 13th century pottery has been found, but in such circumstances that the work cannot precisely dated. <9> <10> <11> Other ref: <12> Resurveyed at 1:2500. <13> See also: <14>