Maxey Castle, Cambridgeshire

Although the moat has been partially damaged by infilling and clearance, Maxey Castle remains a well preserved example of a single-island moated site, with surviving features related to water management and an associated fishpond. Licence to embattle this moated manor was granted in 1374 - 1375.

A 16th century map in the Public Record Office has a picture of the castle, showing it to have had a curtain wall with high corner towers and a tall central tower or keep. There also appears to have been flood defences - 2 banks, the outer with a ditch parallel to the NE angle of the moat. Of the castle only the moat remains. Some of it was in ruins by Lelands' time and it was clear soon enough to be tilled by ridge and furrow. The remaining portion of the moat is water-filled; the island is part orchard and part garden.

Maxey's connection with the St.John family of Lydiard Park is through their shared ancestry with Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII; Margaret lived at the castle during the 15th century.