ANCIENT EARTHWORKS 



original bottom of the fosse. Since it stands on the very edge of the clifF, 

 there is no doubt that part of the mount and about one-third of its fosse on 

 the south-east side have been washed away, and the complete plan is there- 

 fore not now recoverable. 



About 1 20 ft. from the north edge of the mount fosse to the north, 

 there remains a portion of another fosse, quite straight, about 250 ft. long, 

 and abutting with its east end on the cliff itself It is about 1 8 ft. wide at 

 the bottom, with a diagonal entrance across it, from which a slight artificial 

 «carp runs towards the 

 present farm. It is 

 doubtful if either this 



4-5' 



SCALE OF rttT 

 100 200 



entrance or scarp are 

 ancient. 



There can be no 

 doubt that this formed a ^ /v9 

 part of the fosse inclos- 

 ing the court, but since 

 it must have been filled 

 up from the west end, 

 and is washed away at 

 the other end, it is im- 

 possible to guess whether 2 

 it joined the fosse of the 2 

 mount or surrounded it. ^ 



About 100 yards " 

 due north we come to 

 an inclosure, roughly 

 rectangular in plan, but 

 which is not a true 

 square. The moat is 

 36 ft. to 40 ft. wide, 

 and still contains water 

 on the north and west 

 sides, and is marshy else- 

 where. The space in- 

 closed is barely 100 ft. 

 square, and is rounded 

 and humpy, not level. 



On the subject of 

 remains at Aldingham, the wildest theories have been mooted, but they need 

 no notice here. At the time of Domesday, one Ernulf had six carucates to 

 be taxed at Aldingham, and at the least as early as 1 127 the le Flemings seem 

 to have had the manor, since the lands of Michael were specially excepted in 

 Stephen's foundation Charter of Furness Abbey. There is also the tradition 

 that the early lords moved their habitation from Aldingham to Gleaston Castle 

 on account of the encroachments of the sea, and it certainly seems reasonable 

 to suppose that fear of such an encroachment might prompt such a migration. 



There is reason indeed to believe that a portion of the cliff has gone 

 since Close published his notes in 1804. He says that the 'Mount is some- 



557 



300 



Aldingham Mote 



