The Creakers are a set of earthwork defences in Great Barford, Bedfordshire, probably originally built in the late 13th century around the medieval manor house.
History
Great Barford is a low-lying parish in the basin of the River Ouse and in the medieval period included the manor of Creakers. The manor takes its name from James de Crevequer, an Anglo-Norman from Kent, who acquired Great Barford by marriage in the mid-13th century. James had died by 1263, followed soon after by his eldest son Robert.
James’ second son, also called James, then inherited the property which he held until his death in the early 14th century. This James probably constructed the earthwork defences around the manor house, a common practice in the region.
The earthworks probably stretched around the whole of the house, enclosing it with a ditch at least 2.3 m wide, and an earthwork bank, at least 1.5 m high. A system of ponds and banks, possibly for keeping fish, lay to the south and east of the manor house. The earthworks were extensively damaged over the years, with much of the remaining ditch being filled in around 1972. Only a small section now survives, lying to the west of the current manor house, which dates from the 18th century.
Bibliography
- Page, W. (ed) (1912) “Parishes: Great Barford,” Victoria County History of Bedfordshire Volume 3.
Attribution
The article includes a photograph from the Bedford County Council website.