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Eaton Bray Manor

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Eitone; Eyton

In the civil parish of Eaton Bray.
In the historic county of Bedfordshire.
Modern Authority of Bedfordshire.
1974 county of Bedfordshire.
Medieval County of Bedfordshire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SP96032102
Latitude 51.87917° Longitude -0.60577°

Eaton Bray Manor has been described as a certain Fortified Manor House.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

Earthwork remains of a moated fortified manor house with associated fishponds, known from documentary evidence to have been built in 1221 and rebuilt in the reign of Henry VIII. Empty and in poor condition by 1675 but repaired circa 1692. Barns, stables and other outbuildings, including a dovecote and a malthouse were documented. Demolished in 1794 and the site cleared and turned over to pasture by 1849. (PastScape)

The castle at Eaton Bray, which followed the descent of the manor, was built in 1221 by William de Cantlowe, and is described in the Annals of Dunstable as being a serious danger (in grave periculum) to Dunstable and the neighbourhood (Ann. Mon. (Rolls Ser.), iii, 66). In 1273 an interesting account of Eaton Bray Manor, unfortunately torn, includes the following particulars of the castle:—A manor inclosed with a wall, and moat and two drawbridges; within the principal inclosure is a hall with two chambers at the ends (capita) of the hall. The chamber beyond the pantry and buttery was covered with tiles. There is mention of a great chamber, a foreign chamber (camera forinseca), a garderobe, a house for a larder used as a kitchen because there was no kitchen, a drawbridge towards the park, a new chapel and a granary. In the other bailey, probably the outer bailey, there were stables for sixty horses, covered with tiles, a grange, cow-houses, pigsties and other outbuildings covered with straw. There were two gardens outside the inclosure, the one containing 3 roods and the other an acre. The park contained 28 acres of wood (Chan. Inq. p.m. 1 Edw. I, no. 16.). (VCH Vol. 3)
Comments

Described as a castle in 1221 by monks of Dunstable Priory and this is usually said to be an overstatement by nervous monks.
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

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Sources of information, references and further reading
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This record last updated 26/07/2017 09:21:02

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