History:

• Built in 1070 by Abbot Thorold as a defence against his own monks.
• In the 12th century it was dismantled by Abbot Martin de Bec.
• Presently in the gardens of the Deanery, it is a mound covered in grass.

Architecture:

It consists of a large circular mound, 36.58m (120 ft) in diameter, 6.1m (20 ft) high, with a flat circular top 10.67m (35 ft) across.  The ground on which it stands is slightly higher than that to the west, but no more than 9.14m (30 ft) above the River Nene.  The summit of the mound is flat and bears a stone marker. 

There is an elongation towards the south east, which may have been part of a rampart which was originally much larger.  Traces of a surrounding ditch survive only on the North West side, where there is a slight hollow, 6.1m (20 ft) wide and 0.7m (2 ft) deep. 

Social History :

A ‘motte’ is a raised earth mound, which was often topped by a wooden tower, known as a keep.  The Bailey, that is associated with the mound, is an enclosed area adjacent to the mound, which was at a lower level.

The location of this particular motte is interesting because if it was Thorold’s work, it was placed to counter any approached from the north.  It may have been intended to overawe the burgh, which may have lain to the east of the monastery.