| Summary : The Manor of Spaldwick is first mentioned in the 10th century when it was granted to Ely Abbey. In 1109 the manor was given to the Bishop of Lincoln who held it until 1543. The bishop also had a deer park at Spaldwick (see TL 17 SW 16).The irregular enclosure, known as Bury Close, was probably the site of the Bishop of Lincoln's manor house or grange, but there has not been a house here for many years. Within the enclosure, at the north-west corner, is a roughly circular mound, 28m in diameter and about 1.0m high, with a shallow trench round it. This is possibly the site of a windmill, mentioned in 1609. |
More information : Village site and rampart, called Danesfield, is an irregular enclosure with the church in the north-east angle. The surrounding bank is best preserved on the south and south-east but has been entirely destroyed on the north-east. There are traces of foundations in the south-west angle and a series of terraces and scarps outside the enclosure on the north and north-west. (1)
(TL 127727 - sited from plan). The field is surrounded on the east, south and part of the west sides with a bank, 27 feet wide at the base, 3 feet high within the enclosure and 4 feet 6 inches high outside. On the north-west and north the bank is very slight on the inside, but the ground outside is considerably lower, especially at the north-west corner. The church possibly stood within the enclosure, but the bank through the churchyard and at the north-east corner has been lost.
The Manor of Spaldwick is first mentioned in the 10th century when it was granted to Ely Abbey. In 1109 the manor was given to the Bishop of Lincoln who held it until 1543. The bishop also had a deer park at Spaldwick (see TL 17 SW 16).
The enclosure, known as Bury Close, was probably the site of the Bishop of Lincoln's manor house or grange, but there has not been a house here for many years. Within the enclosure, at the north-west corner, is a roughly circular mound, 55 feet in diameter and about 3 feet high, with a shallow trench round it. This is possibly the site of a windmill, mentioned in 1609. (2-3)
Mound, banks and ditches visible. (4)
No trace of building sites within the indicated area. The circular mound at TL 12637285 is a small ditched mill mound with a maximum height of 0.6m. (5)
The enclosure bank is best preserved on the south where it is 0.8m high with a ditch 1.4m deep on the outside. Rig and furrow is visible on the OS air photograph (a) within the area but this has been disturbed by surface digging and a later pond.
The sub-circular mill mound measures 28.0m in diameter overall and is 1.0m high with a ditch 0.6m deep. The north side of the ditch has been disturbed by a later hedgerow and the centre of the mound by a crescentic excavation 0.3m deep. No debris was found on the mound. The mill is not shown on the enclosure award (b). (6) |