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Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (Early Medieval to Late Medieval - 1199 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Early Medieval to Early Post-medieval - 1199 AD to 1699 AD)

Summary

The deep moat looks like a garden feature but may have originated as a medieval moat surrounding the manor house of Roger Beler and his decendants, mentioned in 1391 and 1420. Earthwork features surrounding the moat are those of a post-medieval garden, which may have incorporated the moat.

Additional Information

Scheduled Monument description extract:
The monument at Kirby Bellars is divided into three separate areas and lies to the north of the Leicester-Melton Mowbray road, 3km west of Melton. It consists of a medieval moat and fishponds which were later incorporated into a 17th century formal garden. The medieval moated site is rectangular and measures 70 x 50m overall. The moat ditch measures 15m wide and 2m deep and contains a stone entrance causeway on the southern side… The moated site is known from documents to be of medieval origin. A 14th century reference describes the hall and many associated buildings as being both inside and outside the moat, traces of buildings and medieval roof tiles have been recorded from the moated area. The medieval house was replaced by the present one on a different site in the 17th century, at which time the formal garden earthworks were laid out by Sir Erasmus de la Fontaine, who held the site from 1604-1672.

Victoria County History (2013) gives details of the northernmost manor in Kirby Bellars (See 'Sites and Buildings' p2.)
"The second moated site is in the Kirby Park area, and this is almost certainly the capital messuage of the second manor. Documents confirm that the Kirby Park area was the location of the chantry and its successors, as well as the manor house of Roger Beler and his descendants. The moated site closely fits a description of Beler's house and its environs, on the death of the husband of Roger Beler(I)'s granddaughter, Robert Swillington, in 1391. The square moated site has two southward parallel extensions, which could have enclosed the many rooms, houses and offices that the inquisition states were within the moat. Outside the moat the inquisition states there were granges, cowsheds, sheepfolds, many other houses, a dove house and a windmill. Today there is evidence of a large area of former buildings outside the moat, all demolished in the 1630s to make way for a park around Erasmus de la Fontaine(II)'s mansion. Two mounds outside may well have been the sites of windmills and the existing eighteenth-century dove house outside the moat could have replaced an earlier one. In 1420, on the death of Sir Robert de Swillington, the manor house and associated buildings consisted of a hall with 14 chambers, a gatehouse, a malthouse, three barns, a granary, a dove house and two gardens."
(Information from Victoria County History, 'http://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/sites/default/files/work-in-progress/kb7_sites_and_buildings_apr2014.pdf', accessed 20/11/2014.)

In 1942 F Cottrill visited the site. He noted nettles and traces of buildings on the moat including late medieval roof tiles.

In 1979 the Melton Fieldwork Group found a medieval roof tile near the moat.

<1> Hartley R F, 1987, The Medieval Earthworks of North-East Leicestershire, p10 & p33 (Bibliographic reference). SLE496.

"An ornamental moat", part of gardens laid out in the early C17th by Sir Erasmus de la Fontaine.

<2> 1975, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 50, Vol 50 (1974-75), p55 (Journal). SLE5979.

In a list of provisional moated sites.

<3> 1977-8, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 53, Vol 53 (1977-8), p85 (Journal). SLE5951.

In a refined list of moated sites.

<4> Hartley, RF, 1988, Formal Gardens of Leicestershire & Rutland, an archaeological survey of the evidence: 1500-1750, p58 (Unpublished document). SLE416.

Described as an ornamental moat.

<5> Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 2014, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 88, Vol 88 (2014), p75-84 (Journal). SLE4845.

A Fox discussed the manorial site/priory in Transactions. Documents of 1391 record the manor house of Roger Beler - a manor house with a hall and many rooms, accompanied by many houses and offices, all within a moat. Outside the moat were granges, cowsheds, sheepfolds, many other houses, a dove house and a windmill. The 'island' at the centre of the Kirkby Park moat is 52 x 24m, with two moat extensions enclosing an area measuring 177 x 52m. There is earthwork evidence for many buildings outside the moat, and a mound that may have been a windmill mound.

<6> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.

SUMMARY: "Medieval moated house and associated buildings mentioned in C14th surviving as earthworks of moat and fishponds and traces of buildings and roof tiles. Incorporated in C17th formal garden with terraced walk, fishpond and prospect mounds."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=321313', accessioned 17/06/2024.

<7> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping, 1959 (Map). SLE7243.

[SK 7198 1746] Kirby Hall [GT] (Site of)

<8> Page, William (ed), 1907, The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 1, p268 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1156.

South of the site of Kirby Bellars Priory [SK 71 NW 7] is Kirby Park and the earthwork defences of the Old Hall. These consist of a vallum and fosse 600 ft long at the north end of which is a moat 60ft wide. Other mutilated works may be traced on the north and the east. To the north-east is an embanked fishpond close to the River Wreak. The railway runs between the site and the Priory.

<9> Field Investigators Comments, B H Seaman/09-JUL-1962 (Website). SLE3488.

The earthworks include a moat, three partly wet fishponds to the west and another to the north-east of the moat. There are also two steep-sided mounds c. 5.0m.high, the southern one with traces of masonry on top, which are probably gazebo mounds. Traces of ornamental gardening with C18th brickwork are evident to the north of the moat. The present house, named Kirby Park, is of C17th date, much modernised. G.P. AO62/49/4 Kirby Park from the south.
Published survey (25" 1903) revised.

<10> Field Investigators Comments, B H Seaman/28-JUL-1972 (Website). SLE3488.

No change.

<11> Scheduled Monument List/Amendment, English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 04-SEP-1992 (Scheduling record). SLE7368.

Garden, moat and five fishponds at Kirby Bellars.The monument is divided into three separate areas:
(SK 7200 1754) The moat is rectangular, measuring 70m x 50m with ditch 15m wide and 2.0m deep containing a stone entrance causeway on the south side.
The formal garden earthworks, laid out in the C17th, comprise a terraced walkway, 170m long, 2.0m high at the north end decreasing to 1.0m high at the south end, a conical prospect mound at the north-west corner of the moat, flat-topped, 4.0m high and 22m wide at the base narrowing to 6.0m wide at the top. A second, similar prospect mound 200m south-east of the moat is 3.0m - 4.0m high, 18m wide at the base, and 5.0m wide at the top...
The moat is known to be of Medieval origin. A C14th document describes the hall and many associated buildings inside and outside the moat. Traces of buildings and roof tiles have been found on the island. The Medieval house was replaced by the present one on a different site in the C17th, at which time the formal gardens were laid out by Sir Erasmus de la Fontaine, who held the site from 1604-72. Scheduled (RSM) No. 17032.

Sources

Associated Finds

• ROOF TILE (Late Medieval - 1350 AD to 1539 AD)

Designations

• Scheduled Monument 1010304: GARDEN, MOAT AND FIVE FISHPONDS AT KIRBY BELLARS

Associated Images

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