| Summary : The remains of a medieval mansion house known as Hall Place, located on the eastern edge of the village of Wanborough. The earthworks associated with this house have been seen and mapped from aerial photographs. It is situated on a north facing slope into which are terraced three large level platforms, on one of which the house was located. The lowest platform is bordered by two ponds separated by a causeway. The first pond is curvilinear in shape and measures 40m in length and 15m in width. The second is more linear and is almost T shaped in appearance and is 30m in length and 8m wide. A possible third pond is sited to the west of the first and second and is 30m by 10m. A thin winding ditch possibly once a moat can be seen running through this and leads from directly south-west of the ponds and covers and area approximately 150m by 50m. At the north-west end, the moat appears to lead into a series of straight, thin, linear ditches. This could possibly be drainage associated with the moat. The possible structural remains of a building lies alongside the moat, is 20m in length and 10m wide and has a north north-west to south south-east alignment. More recent photographs taken in May 1989, show that the area may have been ploughed causing slight levelling of the earthworks in the area. Most of the mentioned earthworks, apart from the possible drainage features, still exist in this form, although they are far less well defined. It has been scheduled. |
More information : (SU 215 834) Moat (NR) Chapel (NR) (site of). (1)
Hall-place was a Mansion-house in Wanborough and the home of
the Polton family (2). Thomas Polton died in 1418 (3). Aubrey
records the tradition that a chapel dedicated to St Ambrose was
attached to the house and the site of Hall Place is in a field
still called Ambrose field. (2-3)
(SU 2154 8341) Moat (NR)
(SU 2146 8341) Chapel (NR) (Site of)
(SU 2153 8339) Site of Hall Place (NAT). (4)
The medieval earthworks occupy an area about 100m square the SE
half of which slopes to the NW and has been terraced to form at
least three large level platforms. Either the lower or middle
one of these could have been the site of the house. Bordering
the lower are two ponds with a causeway between them.
From their present appearance they are as likely to have been
fishponds as a moat, which in any case would have been
ornamental rather than defensive. A third pond at SU 2149 8348
was probably also a fishpond. The ponds are from 0.8 to 1.7m
deep, and all are now dry.
The pond at SU 2149 8341 is of two depths, caused by a terrace
which may have relatively modern. An outlet at its W end is
continued as a channel 0.4m deep around the edge of the
building site published as the Chapel.
There are clear turf-covered foundations of a rectangular
building with an entrance halfway along the E side.
Both its low lying situations and its orientation (NNW-SSE)
suggest that it is not a chapel but some other structure such
as a barn. It was certainly not attached to the house, if
Aubreys comment is to be taken literally.
OS 1:2500 survey revised. (5)
Scheduled WILTS 890. Description as above.
Visited 3.9.75. (6)
Earthworks associated with a possible medieval mansion house have been seen and maped from aerial photographs. The only visible remians of the house appear to be two possible ponds separated by a causeway. The first pond, centred at SU 2150 8347, is curvilinear in shape and measures 40m in length and approximately 15m in width. The second, centred at SU 2154 8342, is more linear and is almost T shaped in appearance. It is approximately 30m in length and 8m wide. A possible third pond is sited to the west of the first and second and is 30m by 10m. A thin winding ditch possibly once a moat can be seen running through this and leads from directly south-west of the ponds. It is centred at SU 2150 8340 and covers and area approximately 150m by 50m. At the north west end, the moat appears to lead into a series of straight, thin, linear ditches. This could possibly be drainage associated with the moat. The possible structural remains of a building lies alongside the moat at SU 2147 8342. It is 20m in length and 10m wide and has a north north-west to south south-east alignment. The house is said to be sited on either the lower or middle terraces, but there is no visible evidence from the available aerial photographs to support this. Could possibly be an association between the Mansion house and some of the surrounding ridge and furrow (SU 28 SW 121).
More recent photographs taken in May 1989, show that the area may have been ploughed causing slight leveling of the earthworks in the area. Most of the mentioned earthworks, appart from the possible drainage features, still exist in this form, although they are far less well defined. (8-9) |