ANCIENT EARTHWORKS while appended to the mound, but separated from it by the moat, is the horseshoe-shaped bailey, defended by its own deep moat, still retaining the greater part of a rampart on its outer side. The plan shows a dam on the east, by means of which the waters of the Roding could be added to those of the little diverted stream, forming a never-failing body of water as an added defence to the mound on its eastern face. Faithful to our promise not to discuss dates, we will not express our own views, but will show with how open a mind our old historian, Salmon, treated the question : When this was erected nothing shows [he states that some had implied it to be of Roman times]. There is room for other Guesses, which may be indulged, since we can arrive at no Certainty. Fair Eddeva might fortify here before the Conquest . . . or de Ver might do it during the war between Maud and Stephen . . . or de Vtr might fortify here upon King John's destroying the Bishop's Castle of Weytemore. Moating is projected forward at two points on the west ; this may indicate extension to form a second court or bailey, but it seems hardly likely, as the land rises considerably and shows no traces of continuation of the fosse. CHRISHALL. On the southern edge of a wood north-east of Chrishall church is a circular work with moat, a low broad bank or rampart surrounding the outer edge of the moat, save on the south-west, where it has been destroyed, or where possibly a natural declivity rendered additional protection unnecessary. Owing to the density of the undergrowth we were unable to make a reliable plan, nor does the work appear in the 25-inch ordnance survey map, but it is approximately of 1 50 feet diameter, with moat of about i o feet depth, excepting on the south-west, where it is 5 or 6 feet deeper. The outer bank above mentioned, being intersected by ditches from the surrounding wood, assumes somewhat the form of a succession of mounds, hence Salmon's statement copied by Morant and subsequent writers that mounds 'are raised at four places near the verge.' 1 CLAVERING. The principal part of the remains here consists of an oblong mound with a summit area of about 300 by 185 feet, elevated some 1 6 or 17 feet above its surrounding moat. On the north is a long rampart outside the moat, and further earthworks, to which we presently refer. There is nothing in the character of the castle earthworks incon- sistent with a pre-Norman origin, but Suene of Essex held the lordship at the time of the Domesday survey, and possibly by him, or by those holding under him, the mound was erected, or we may owe it to Robert Fitz Wimarc, who was lord in Edward the Confessor's time.* 1 There is another work in the wood, but we think it was probably merely an ornamental adjunct to the gardens of a mansion built in the seventeenth century by Sir John James when this great wood was the park of Chrishall Hall.
- Mr. J. H. Round is inclined to identify Clavering with ' Robert's castle,' to which the Saxon
Chronicle tells us that certain Normans fled in A.D. 1052 (see p. 345 below). 291
