Cainhoe Castle

Clophill Lakes contains the Scheduled Monument of Cainhoe Castle with its associated moated site, fishponds, and field systems.

A footpath goes through the site towards the A507, and all of the archaeological features can be clearly seen from the footpath. Please stick to the footpath as the archaeological earthworks are extremely fragile and are vulnerable to erosion and damage if they are walked over. Metal detecting on the site is strictly prohibited to protect the earthworks. 

What is Cainhoe Castle? 

Cainhoe Castle is a triple motte and bailey castle. The ‘motte’ is a high mound surrounded by defensive enclosures, the ‘baileys’. Constructed from timber and earth, only the mounds and ditches remain. It was built on a natural hill, giving a clear view to surrounding settlements. The castle itself was likely built by Nigel d’Aubigny shortly after the Norman conquest. There is evidence of pre-Roman, Roman, and Anglo-activity on the site, including Anglo-Saxon wattle structures.

This reconstruction shows what the castle might have looked like, with a wooden ramp leading up to a tower on the motte. The baileys, separated by deep ditches, would have contained everything the castle needed to survive: from breweries, bakeries, and kitchens to stables, stores, and blacksmiths. 

Moated site 

To the west of the field, archaeological reports have revealed the site of a possible moated manor. Part of the moat remains as a pond. It is thought this manor succeeded the use of the castle, before itself being superseded by Cainhoe Manor that now stands across the A507. 

Fish ponds

Four fish ponds supplied the castle and manor with fresh fish. There may also have been an additional pond specifically for breeding small fry. It is likely that these ponds were fed by a stream, now dried up, and were linked together by leats (small drainage channels). 

Medieval field systems 

Throughout the site, there remains evidence of medieval field systems, including boundary ditches and ridge and furrow. Ridge and furrow were created from early ploughing that pushed soil into a mound as the same strip of land was ploughed repeatedly.

Remains of any field systems to the north of the castle have been lost to the quarrying works.

Cainhoe and its surroundings

The site has strong links to the surrounding settlements of Clophill, Beadlow, and Gravenhurst. A hermitage was founded to the north-east of the castle, and later, Beaulieu Priory.

 More information on the monastic institutions in Greensand Country here 

What do we know about the site?

Archaeological surveys have taken place across the site to identify possible features throughout the site’s history, most recently through a Heritage Fund project to better understand the Scheduled Monument and possible archaeology across the wider Clophill Lakes site. Artist Phil Kenning has used these surveys to interpret how Cainhoe may have looked at the time of the castle and later when the manor was built.

What are we doing to protect the site?

Fragile archaeological sites such as Cainhoe need active management to ensure they are not damaged. It faces many different threats, including rabbit burrowing, trees and scrub growing, and the pressure from people walking on earthworks.

Grazing the area with sheep is a vital part of this management. The sheep prevent new trees and scrub developing, which through their roots cause damage to the earthworks. Large trees brought down by high winds can take large segments of earthwork with them when they come down, making the mounds event more fragile.

Volunteer tasks to periodically remove the scrub that has already built up. This means that there are fewer places for rabbits to burrow which in turn damages the integrity of the earthworks.

We are asking all visitors to stick to the footpath to prevent erosion from foot traffic for all of the archaeological features on the site.

Quarrying

Nineteenth century maps show that sand pits were present to the south east of the castle (across the A507). These would have extracted sandstone and sand for use as local building materials.

The large lakes are the remains of Fuller’s Earth quarrying on the site. The British Geological Survey in 1934 identified an area of Fuller’s Earth in Clophill. Prior to this, it had only been extracted around Aspley Heath.

Between the 1980s and 2000, parts of the site were quarried for Fuller’s Earth. Fuller’s Earth is volcanic ash trapped in the Brown Sands layer that can be found as part of the Lower Greensand, which eventually forms a clay. This has very fine particles, meaning that substances can bind and soak into it. This makes it ideal for a wide variety of uses, from a filler in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and in special effects to decontaminating soldiers exposed to chemical weapons. Historically it was used as a detergent to clean and soften wool, as part of the fulling process.

The pits where Fuller’s Earth was extracted were left to fill with water, creating the lakes we see today.

Images courtesy M Benson