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Summary

Cressy Hall Moated Site

Full description

PRN 22452
THIS MOATED ENCLOSURE IS SITUATED IN THE GROUNDS OF CRESSY HALL AND DEFINES THE BOUNDARY OF THE CURIA OF THE MEDIEVAL MANOR OF RISEGATE IN THE VILL OF SURFLEET. ONLY ONE MEDIEVAL REFERENCE IN 1384 HAS BEEN FOUND, TO STRUCTURES WHICH MAY HAVE OCCUPIED THE SITE, WHICH WERE IN A RUINOUS STATE. {5}
Cressy Hall, Gosberton was a manor house rebuilt by Sir Henry Heron (d.1695); it was burnt down in 1792 and again rebuilt. The name derives from the Cressy family, one of whom established a market and fair here in the time of Edward I. Marrat refers to a chapel with the date 1309 inscribed on the door. {1}{2}{3}{4}
Cressy Hall was built about 1790 with modern additions. There is a brick dovecote of probably the same period; At TF22263049, in the west wall of a greenhouse, is a stone inscribed:- 'this chapel was built 1308 and repaired 1666'. The old brick, now plastered over, is believed to be the original west wall of the chapel.{1} The moat seems primarily ornamental and shows no evidence of a building site. Resurveyed at 1:2500. The broad, dry ditch, immediately west, is probably an old fishpond.{1}
The medieval moated site lies circa 70m south of the present Cressy Hall, which previously lay in the parish of Surfleet. Heppo the Arblaster held land in Surfleet in 1086, which was granted to Walter de Braytoft in the late 12th century, passing to his granddaughter Sibyl de Cressy and remaining in the de Cressy family until the 15th century, when it was inherited by the Markham family. The manor was reported as ruinous in 1384, each house requiring 10 marks annually for its repair. Sir Henry Heron rebuilt the manor in the 17th century, relocating it 70m to the north-west of the island. The east-facing house had formal gardens to the east and south. This house was destroyed by fire in 1791 and rebuilt in 1792 facing to the south. Cressy Hall is not included in the scheduling; all fences are also excluded, though the ground beneath them is included. A 2m boundary surrounds the monument for support and preservation.{6}

<1> OS CARD INDEX, TF 23 SW:2, 1965, DA (Index). SLI2513.

<2> William White, 1872, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire - Third Edition, Pages 789, 801-2 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI887.

<3> William Marrat, 1814, The History of Lincolnshire; Topographical, Historical and Descriptive, Vol 1, Page 211 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI979.

<4> SMR FILE, TF 23 SW:F, H, 1976, R.W.H. (Index). SLI3039.

<5> R.H. Healey and D.R. Roffe, Some Medieval and Later Earthworks in South Lincolnshire, M4 pp.80-81; Fig.59 (Unpublished Document). SLI4819.

<6> English Heritage, Feb 2001, Medieval moated site and post-medieval gardens at Cressy Hall, SAM 31616 (Scheduling Record). SLI6429.

Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Earthwork survey of Cressy Hall Moated site

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

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