Record Details

Summary

The scheduled remains of a moated site, comprising of a square moat enclosing a fortified manor house. The original 13th century house was remodelled in the Tudor period, and demolished in the 19th century. The moat was fed through channels from a number of fishponds, which are also included in the scheduling.

Monument Type(s):

• MOAT (Established, MEDIEVAL - 1291 AD to 1291 AD)
• TIMBER FRAMED BUILDING (Built, MEDIEVAL - 1291 AD to 1291 AD)
• FISHPOND (Established, MEDIEVAL - 1291 AD to 1291 AD)
• FORTIFIED MANOR HOUSE (Built, MEDIEVAL - 1291 AD to 1291 AD)
• FORTIFIED MANOR HOUSE (Remodelled, Tudor to Elizabethan - 1500 AD to 1599 AD)
• FORTIFIED MANOR HOUSE (Demolished, Georgian - 1820 AD to 1820 AD)

Associated Events:

• EST1212 - A survey of moated sites in Staffordshire.
• EST481 - A site visit to Norbury Manor moat and fishponds in September 1980.
• EST974 - An arcaheological watching brief at Norbury Manor moated site, Norbury. (NRHE Name - Norbury Manor Moat)
• EST1944 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2009 (West Midlands Region)
• EST1959 - A site visit to Norbury Manor moat and fishponds in 1968.
• EST1960 - A site visit to Norbury Manor moat and fishponds in May 1982.
• EST1965 - A site visit to inspect the condition of Norbury moated site and fishponds in November 2009.
• EST2248 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2011 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2483 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2012 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2484 - Heritage at Risk Survey 2013 (West Midlands Region)
• EST2595 - Aerial photographic mapping of the Gnosall area as part of the Staffordshire Western Areas National Mapping Project. (Ref: 1587560)
• EST3079 - An archaeological watching brief during remedial works at Norbury Manor moated site, 2013-2014.

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument 1011875: Norbury Manor Moated Site, 8 Fishponds and Connecting Channels
• SHINE: Above and below ground features associated with the Scheduled remains of Norbury Manor moat and adjacent 17th century glass working site.

Full description

Timber Framed Building: There was probably a fortified manor house on this moated site from the late 13th century but it was remodelled in the Tudor period with a jettied timber gallery which may have been a 16th century addition. Rebuilding was probably undertaken by the Skrymsher Family to whom it was sold under Henry VIII. The timber gables and large upper window are of this date. The house was demolished between 1801 and 1838 although foundations are visible inside the moated enclosure.
Moated Site: A square enclosure formed by a 9 metre wide moat. A fine old red sandstone ashlar wall 2.4 metres high forms a revetment in the interior. The moat enclosed a fortified manor house built at the end of the 13th century and remodelled in Tudor times. Demolished in the 19th century. The southern arm of the moat has recently been dug out for drainage. <1>

The platform measures 60 metres by 40 metres with a sandstone revetment surrounded by a wet moat 14 metres wide (at maximum). There is a causeway to the east and a timber sluice outlet on the south east. The moat is fed on the west by two streams; one via five fishponds and the other through a single pond bounded by a bank. <2>

Ralph de Botiller succeeded to Norbury on the death of Phillip Marmion in 1291. Possibly a manorial residence from that time. <3>

Identified as being at risk on the 2009 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 16-Jun-2016)<4>

Identified as being at risk on the 2011 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 20-Jun-2016)<5>

Identified as being at risk on the 2012 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 21-Jun-2016)<6>

Identified as being at risk on the 2013 Heritage at Risk Register. (RH, 29-Jun-2016)<7>

A moat is depicted on the 1925 6" Ordnance Survey map. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <8>

A rectangular, wet homestead moat at Norbury Manor which measures 260ft by 220ft. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <9> <10>

Ralph le Botiller succeeded to Norbury on the death of Philip Marmion, AD 1291. According to Erdeswick it was the seat of Ralph le Botiller junior. Miss Burne supposes that Norbury became a manorial residence from this time. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <11> <12>

Norbury Manor is described as 'curious for the antiquity of its building, and is surrounded by a large mote, in some places 20 and 30 yds wide ... The house is now (1801) in a ruined state'. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <13> <14>

In Henry VIII's reign Norbury Manor was sold to the Skrymshers. The Manor House was pulled down circa 1820. SB, 28-Jul-2016) <15> <16>

The Manor House at Norbury was moated, and, although on high ground (Alt 300ft) stood in a hole without much outlook. The moat, with the stone foundations of the house rising from it, and the bridge over the moat by which it was entered, can still be seen.
The site of the house is now a garden and the materials have been used in the construction of a farmhouse on higher ground near by.
From Plot's engraving showing castellated stonework with Tudor additions, Twemlow compares the house with Stokesay Castle (SO 48 SW 8, AD 1240). (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <17> <18> <19> <20>

The moat is accurately shown on OS 6" 1925 and described above. The area enclosed is revetted by a stone wall with the remains of a wall of Tudor-type brick, laid in a pinkish mortar, on the south-west and north sides. The area is now a pasture and the site of the buildings can be seen as an area of raised ground with slight banks running along buried walling. The north and south-western arms of the moat have slight retaining banks and to the north are some small fish-ponds. The farmhouse dates from the 19th century. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <21> <22>

No change was observed from <21> above upon inspection in 1974). (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <23>

Norbury Manor moated site, 8 fishponds and connecting channels. The site includes a raised grass-covered island, circa 60 metres x 40 metres revetted by a fine sandstone ashlar wall 2.4 metres high and surrounded by a wet moat circa 14 metres maximum width x 4 metres deep. Adjacent to the north arm are two dry fishponds, the larger originally fed by a channel connecting with a stream to the north and possessing a short outlet channel entering the moat at its north-east corner. The moat is further fed by two streams entering its west arm; the southernmost of these brought water from a series of five fishponds some 150 metres to the west of the moat by a complex of connecting channels, while the northernmost stream collected water from a pond flanked by a substantial bank circa 80m north-west of the moat. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <24>

Site of fortified manor house. Possibly built in the late 13th century, remodelled in the 16th century and demolished in the 19th century. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <25>

The probable medieval moat is also visible as earthworks on air photographs centred at SJ 7967 2327. The moat was mapped as part of the Staffordshire National Mapping Programme project. The moat is extant on the latest 2010 vertical photography; the remainder of the features described by the above authorities are obscured by tree cover on the available photography. (SB, 28-Jul-2016) <26>

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