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 A HISTORY OF ESSEX in 1631, says, ' Swein de Essex. . . built the ruined castle in this towne, in the raigne of Edward the Confessor.' l Mr. J. H. Round has expressed the view that the Domesday words ' in hoc manerio Suenus fecit suum castellum,' imply, though they may not prove, that Suene raised the mound in William's reign. 2 We think however that the words would equally apply though Suene had simply utilized the site of already existing but ruined works for his castellum. No sign of the use of stone is apparent on any part RAYUEIGH MOUNT, ESSEX. of the site, though one may speculate that Weever's reference to the ruined castle implies an existence of masonry at his time. RICKLING MOUND. In the pages of Morant's History is a short pleasing description of Rickling Hall, which we would quote, but that our section of the Victoria History deals with earlier work than the remnants of this once important mansion, which, by the way, is well described and illustrated by Mr. C. R. B. Barrett. 3 Traces of extensive moating remain around the hall, suggesting the existence here of some earlier well-defended abode. Our concern however is with the mound adjoining the hall enclo- sure on the south, for though the moats of the hall may have existed contemporaneously with the mound, we are inclined to think the latter 1 Weever, Ancient Funeral! Monuments, p. 603. 2 See pp. 3456 below. 3 Barrett, Essex : Highways, Byways, and Waterways, ser. 2, p. 21, 300