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Monument Types

• DITCH (Late Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1350 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• PIT (Late Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1350 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• POST HOLE (Late Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1350 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• MANOR HOUSE (Late Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1525 AD to 1805 AD)
• HOUSE (Late Post-medieval - 1805 AD to 1843 AD)
• FARMHOUSE (Late Post-medieval to Early 20th Century - 1843 AD to 1931 AD)

Summary

A house was built here in 1525/30 by the Turpin family, who were the owners until 1648. By 1792 it was extremely ruinous. Another house was then built on the site of the hall, which was replaced by a farmhouse in 1843, and a newer farmhouse in 1931. The standing remains of the Tudor hall were listed in 2014 (see MLE19836).

Additional Information

<1> Hoskins, W G (ed), 1969, The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 2, p194-5 (Bibliographic reference). SLE4461.

In 1507 the orchards and gardens of the manor house are mentioned.

<2> Nichols J, The History and Antiquities of Leicestershire, Vol 4 pt 1 (1807), p217-221 (Bibliographic reference). SLE7.

Nichols says the Hall had a circular tower or bastion of brick and stone and was built by John Turpin temp H VII and enlarged William Turpin, temp EI or JI. It was ruinous 1792 and is illustrated. A new house built c.1805.

<3> Bennett, J D, 1971, Vanished houses of Leicestershire (Bibliographic reference). SLE491.

The hall was supposed to have been burnt down by Cromwell's troops in 1645, remaining in a dilapidated condition for the next 150 years. By 1805 only a small part of the battlemented tower remained. A Tudor gateway and fragments of C16th brick and stone walls built into the present outbuildings are all that remains of the hall… There is an antiquarian illustration in the book.

<4> Allen, Mark, 2011, Archaeological desk-based assessment: land at Knaptoft Hall Farm, Knaptoft (Unpublished document). SLE3394.

Photographs of the barn with the Tudor doorway, mullioned windows, etc (see MLE19836) were taken during production of a desk-based assessment in 2011.

<5> Piirainen, Maria & Clay, Chris, 2011, Archaeological evaluation report: Trial trenching on land at Knaptoft Hall Farm, Knaptoft (Unpublished document). SLE3568.

A trial trench in the farmyard in 2011 exposed a wall foundation that is a continuation of the Tudor structure evident in the adjacent barn. Mid/late C15th to C16th pottery was recovered.
Report is in ADS Library: 10.5284/1021203 - http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1021203

<6> Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 2012, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 86, Vol 86 (2012), p233 (Journal). SLE4254.

2011 fieldwork.

<7> Piirainen, Maria & Clay, Chris, 2012, Historic Building Survey: Knaptoft Hall Farm, Knaptoft (Unpublished document). SLE3777.

A historic building survey was undertaken in April 2012 and included the existing farmhouse, the complex of farm storage buildings (including Tudor elements), the barn with modern extensions and a water pump in the yard.

<8> Hartley, RF, 2018, The medieval earthworks of south and south-east Leicestershire, p26-8 (Bibliographic reference). SLE5736.

"In the mid C15th the manor had come by marriage to John Turpin of Witchester, Northumberland, and by 1524 it was almost entirely depopulated. Knaptoft Hall was built or enlarged in the C16th. Nichols notes "…the old Hall house, which had a circular tower or bastion, of brick and stone, embattled, and was probably built by John Turpin in the reign of Henry VII and enlarged, or at least embellished, by Sir William Turpin, in the reign of either Elizabeth or James…" (Nichols 1810, 220)… The Turpins joined the ranks of the local gentry and held the manor until 1845. After their departure the Hall was of less importance, and by the C18th it had fallen into decay. In Schnebbelie's view of the east front, drawn on September 15 1791, it appears complete, but Pridden's drawing of the north front, done in July of the following year, shows gaping holes in the roof (both engravings in Nichols 1810, 221). It was, as Nichols describes "in a perishing state and on a re-visit, in August 1805 the only remnant was a very small part of the embattled bastion, about two or three yards high… and… a single window of the principal room…" (Nichols 1810, 220).

<9> Tooze, Charlotte, 2018, Archaeological evaluation report, trial trenching on land at Knaptoft Hall Farm, Knaptoft, Leicestershire (Unpublished document). SLE6813.

Trial trenching in 2018 revealed approximately 1m of made ground and levelling layers, with later medieval to modern finds. Features comprised pits, postholes and ditches likely to represent drainage and boundary features. Dating evidence was limited but several features contained free-threshing wheat, typical of medieval assemblages. An assemblage of ceramic building material was recovered, probably from the former farmhouse built in 1843. The fieldwork recovered five sherds of post-medieval pottery, 78 fragments of brick and tile (46 flat roof tile, 2 floor tile, 13 handmade brick, 17 modern brick), 18 fragments of animal bone, 1 piece of human bone. One piece of roof tile had a nib and appeared to be late medieval in date. The floor tile could also be medieval (perhaps late C15th). The handmade brick included bricks similar to those used in late C15th buildings.

<10> Serrano, Liliana, 2021, Archaeological evaluation report: trial trenching on land at Knaptoft Hall Farm, Knaptoft, Leicestershire (Unpublished document). SLE6816.

A small amount of ceramic building material was noted during trenching in 2021, consisting of Tudor brick and early C19th.
Report is in ADS Library: doi:10.5284/1092126 - http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1092126

Sources

Associated Finds

• PLANT REMAINS (Late Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1350 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• SHERD (Late Medieval to Late Post-medieval - 1370 AD to 1700 AD)
• BRICK (Late Medieval to Early Post-medieval - 1450 AD? to 1699 AD?)
• BRICK (Late Medieval to Early Post-medieval - 1450 AD? to 1699 AD?)
• FLOOR TILE (Late Medieval - 1450 AD? to 1539 AD?)
• ROOF TILE (Late Medieval to Early Post-medieval - 1450 AD? to 1699 AD?)
• MAMMAL REMAINS (Post-medieval - 1540 AD? to 1899 AD?)
• BRICK (Late Post-medieval - 1700 AD to 1899 AD)
• SHERD (Late Post-medieval - 1701 AD to 1899 AD)

Designations

• Scheduled Monument 1008817: KNAPTOFT MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENT AND MANORIAL COMPLEX INCLUDING CHURCH, THREE FISHPONDS AND WINDMILL MOUND

Associated Images

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