ANCIENT EARTHWORKS On the east of this main enclosure are two great closes, each of them also defended by a vigorous bank and moat. On the south near the river are remains of large fishponds. There is no doubt that we have here the original enclosing works of the priory, for at some time in the sixteenth century they seem to have been considered insufficient, and a wall was added outside the exterior moat, built of rubble and clay and coped in red brick. This may have been done when the mansion was erected after the suppression. The cottage belonging to the monastery mill still stands. At Warden (1135), Elstow, Biscot, Harrold and Ruxox there are similar remains of the enclosing ramparts and moats, and no doubt on other monastic sites which have not been examined. In these cases the rampart is always inside the moat. There are a few instances of moated works on high ground, with the central hold mounded up a few feet to a uniform level, and with a wide deep moat surrounding it. The area thus outlined averages some 100 to 150 feet each way. These works have all the extensive outer enceinte of bank and ditch common to both manor and monastery, and often church and fishponds. There are examples at Hockliffe, Colm- KEYSOE PARK SCALE OF FEET worth and Podington. They are evidently manorial, but being of the weaker transitional type are included in this class. Amongst later works on lower ground are the castle sites of Someries near Luton, and Eaton Bray, where there were fifteenth-century brick buildings, with considerable remains of quadrangular moats. Later media^val manor houses also, on low-lying ground, with considerable moats still remaining, stood at Netherstead, Beggary, Chawston, Wybos- 1 305 39
