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COUNTESS CLOSE

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The buried and earthwork remains of a fortified medieval manor house. The monument includes a main enclosure, defined by a bank and external moat ditch, with an annex or second enclosure on the south western side. The moat ditches were almost certainly dry moats and never water-filled. The bank and ditch between the main enclosure and the annex was levelled in 1965-6, but their position can be seen as soil marks and the course of the moat ditch is marked by a slight depression. The north eastern side is the best preserved section of bank and ditch. Here the moat ditch is up to 1.5 metres deep and measures up to 15 metres wide from the top of the internal bank to the outer lip of the ditch. The internal bank runs alongside the ditch and stands up to 3 metres above its base, 1.5 metres above the interior of the enclosure. On the north western side, the level of the interior rises so that there is only a slight bank when viewed from inside the enclosure. From the outside it appears to be up to 3 metres high with the moat ditch continuing with a low external bank. The level of the annex is generally about 0.2-0.3 metres below that of the main enclosure. It has a moat ditch on its north western side up to 2.5 metres deep and 6-8 metres wide with a 1 metre high bank defining its north western side. The main enclosure, which measures 80 metres by 90 metres internally, has a raised area on the western side. This is considered to be the building platform for the main hall.

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Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.