To those unfamiliar with this early type of castle,a motte,a man made conical hill,was made,with a wooden stockade around the top.The locals and the lord's entourage,would live under his protection,in the bailey,which had a ditch and inner palisade.The whole motte and bailey would have a defensive ditch,sometimes flooded,around the perimeter of the site.In this shot the remains of the motte can be clearly discerned at the righthand end of the image.This motte is about 50 ft.high.
NB:Just a thought.It's curious that such a large motte and bailey should exist outwith, apparently,the realm of written history.And sadly,with its attendant village,scattered and much reduced.Just three miles away to the east is Great Dunmow,an important road junction and town.There used to be a Lord of Dunmow,but no trace of his castle has ever been found.Could it be that this was it?
see http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pmcbride/rfc/gw128.htm (historical reference to Lord of Dunmow)
see http://castlefacts.info/castledetails/castleDetails3.aspx?uin=11133
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Canfield_Castle