Little is known about the town defences of Rayleigh, a small town in Essex, England. Formerly an Anglo-Saxon settlement, Rayleigh was occupied by the Normans in 1066, who built a castle – Rayleigh Mount – there soon after the conquest. By the 13th century, the town and castle were controlled by at first the de Burgh family, and then Queen Eleanor, who redeveloped the castle and established a stud horse farm nearby. Around this time, a timber palisade and earthwork rampart was constructed around the part of the town to the east of the castle. No remains exist above ground in the 21st century.
Bibliography
- Medlycott, M. (1999), Rayleigh Historic Town Assessment Report. Essex, UK: Essex County Council and English Heritage.
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