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Amateur historian explores county's forgotten forts

John Devine/BBCin March
News imageJohn Devine/BBC A man with his arms behind his back in a grey T-shirt, he has light brown short hair and behind him is an undulating area of very dry and almost dead grass caused by heat and no rain. A few houses can be seen in the far distance.John Devine/BBC
Stephen Mudie from Peterborough says many people do not realise the rich history of their local area

An amateur historian who uncovers lost buildings and landmarks in a county said people were often surprised to discover what once stood in their neighbourhoods.

Stephen Mudie, from Peterborough, recently shared on social media the story of three forts that were built in the 1600s, including one sconce in March, Cambridgeshire.

"A sconce is a type of fort built of earth and timber. A great number were built during the English Civil War and the one in March dates from around 1643," Mudie said.

Although little of the forts remain visible except for undulations where earthworks were carried out, Mudie said uncovering stories helped people understand the history of the places where they live.

"People are often amazed when they find out what used to be on their doorstep," he said.

News imageJohn Devine/BBC A large expanse of parched grass which undulates like the waves on a sea, a fort once stood on this land, houses can be seen in the far background.John Devine/BBC
The sconce near March town centre would now sit between residential estates, but once housed a 60m (200 ft) long wooden fort

The March sconce was one of several defensive positions constructed during a period of conflict between the Parliamentarians led by Oliver Cromwell and Royalist forces in the mid-17th Century.

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The sconce, which would now sit between two residential estates in March, once housed a 60m (200ft) long wooden fort.

Mudie said the sconce would have had four corners to position a cannon to try to cover all possible angles of attack.

News imageSUPPLIED An impression of a fort from the 1600s, a cannon is being fired with much smoke and some soldiers can be seen, it is on grass land with a moat cut in surrounding the fort. The is text explaining the sconce surrounding the picture. SUPPLIED
A sign at the site shows an image of what the sconce might have looked like in the 17th Century

Mudie's social media posts regularly feature photographs, maps and historical records showing how parts of Cambridgeshire have changed over time.

"Other similar forts were housed on sites locally in Stanground and Earith," he said

"It's fascinating to see how interested people are in local history," he said, "there's always something new to uncover."

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