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Name: | Mound at The Mount (Mount Pleasant), Melton Mowbray |
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HER Ref: | MLE3958 |
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Parish: | Melton Mowbray, Melton, Leicestershire |
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Grid Reference: | SK 747 188 |
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Map: | Coming soon |
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Monument Types
- MOTTE AND BAILEY? (Medieval - 1067 AD? to 1539 AD?)
Summary
The mound here, though it was used as a windmill mound, may have originally been a castle motte. Parts of a bank and ditch system have been mapped, with a bank to the west of the mound. It may have been a small castle guarding Melton's southern entrance.
Additional Information
Scheduled Monument description:
This medieval motte castle, known as "The Mount" at Mount Pleasant, is located 50m south of the main Leicester Road, at Melton Mowbray. It is separated from the medieval town of Melton Mowbray by the river Eye. The mount is a circular earthwork, approximately 30m in diameter and 3m high, with a flat top 12m in diameter. There is no evidence of a surrounding ditch, although it is considered likely that one would have existed. A documentary reference to a motte at Melton, dated 1364, says it was granted to the Hospital of St. Lazarus at Burton Lazars and refers to cutting down trees on the mound. A reference in 1827 to a mill at Mount Pleasant suggests a later use of the site.
The mound was cleared of trees in 1977 and had not been badly damaged.
A windmill is shown here on several maps (see MLE3959). In view of the documentary evidence this is probably best seen as a large mill mound, but it may just possibly have started life as a motte.
The OS 1:2500 1965 re-survey map shows a small bank to the west of the mound.
In view of the documentary evidence this is probably best seen as a large mill mound but it may just possibly have started life as a motte. (PL 08/07/88)
<1> Page, William (ed), 1907, The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 1, p275 (Bibliographic reference). SLE1156.
VCHL describes this as a tree-planted tumulus.
<2> Hartley R F, 1987, The Medieval Earthworks of North-East Leicestershire (Bibliographic reference). SLE496.
"'The Mount', also known as Mount Pleasant. This appears to have been a mill mound, as there is reference in 1827 to a Mill at Mount Pleasant, to be sold for removal. (Wailes and Baker 1960-1, 127). Whether the mound had an earlier origin and purpose is not known. The mound is 30m in diameter and about 3m high, with a flat top."
<3> Allsop, J, 1988, Earthwork survey of the mound at Melton Mowbray (Unpublished document). SLE4696.
The 1965 bank was confirmed by a 1988 survey by the Burton Lazars Research Group - they say the bank is preserved under the metal fence bounding the school. They also noted various other earthworks in the wider area around The Mount.
Their research notes two references to a motte at Melton, one giving a motte at Melton to the Hospital at Burton Lazars, and one from 1364 mentioning a mound with trees (a 'mota'). The motte may be this mound.
<4> Finn, N, 2001, Trial trenching and earthworks survey of land between Leicester Road and Dalby Road, Melton Mowbray (Unpublished document). SLE12.
Trial trenching on the former Police Station site around The Mount (2001) found no evidence of castle-related structures such as ditches.
<5> Hunt, Leon, 2012, An archaeological desk-based assessment for The Mount Day Centre, Melton Mowbray (Unpublished document). SLE4040.
When visited in 2012 the mound was fenced off and covered in trees.
<6> Elkin, Kathleen (ed), 2015, Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire, p140, "Medieval fortified sites of Leics & Rutland", Richard Knox (Bibliographic reference). SLE5149.
"A small circular mound with no associated earthworks lies off Leicester Road, south-west of the town centre. A windmill is recorded as being sold in the area (Hartley 1987, 11) therefore the earthwork is most likely to be a mill mound.
"A castle, alleged to have been founded by Roger, Lord Mowbray, remains unlocated, although reputedly stone foundations were still visible in the King Street area during the mid 19th century (Hunt 1957)."
<7> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.
SUMMARY: "A possible Medieval motte surviving as an earthwork probably reused later as a mill mound. Variously supposed in the past to be a tumulus, Civil War grave or modern garden feature. A motte castle approximately 30 metres in diameter and 3 metres high, with a flat top 12 metres in diameter. There is no evidence for a ditch. A documentary reference to a motte at Melton, dated 1364, says that it was granted to the hospital of St Lazarus at Burton Lazars and refers to cutting down trees on the mound. A reference to a mill at Mount Pleasant in 1827 suggests a later or alternative use for the mound. Some research from the later 1990s has called into question the validity of the site as a motte. Scheduled."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=321327', accessioned 10/06/2024.
<8> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping, 6" (1959) (Map). SLE7243.
(SK7477 1884) The Mount (NAT) Tumulus (NR)
<9> Field Investigators Comments, B H Seaman/13-JUN-1972 (Website). SLE3488.
A flat topped mound girt with old elm trees (c 150 years) in a low lying situation. There is no ditch. It is extremely unlikely that this is a barrow, more probably it is a relatively modern garden feature.
"Supposed by some to be the last resting place of the Cavalier and Roundhead warriors.(The Story of Melton Mowbray 1957 116 ( P E Hunt)) (of the skirmish in 1645 -see SK 71 NW 17).
<10> Scheduled Monument List/Amendment, English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 27-NOV-1991 (Scheduling record). SLE7368.
SK 7478 1884. The Mount motte at Melton Mowbray. Medieval motte castle approximately 30m in diameter and 3.0m high, with a flat top 12m in diameter. There is no evidence of a ditch, although it is thought that one would have existed. A documentary reference to a motte at Melton, dated 1364, says that it was granted to the Hospital of St Lazarus at Burton Lazars and refers to cutting down trees on the mound. A reference to a mill at Mount Pleasant in 1827 suggests a later use for the mound.
Scheduled (RSM) No. 17023.
<11> Cathcart King, DJ, 1982, Castellarium Anglicanum: an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Vol I: Anglesey to Montgomery, p255 (Bibliographic reference). SLE4995.
Listed by Cathcart King.
<12> 1953, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 29, Vol 29 (1997), p71 (Journal). SLE5899.
Creighton notes that the site has no evidence of a bailey and that its status as a motte has been called into question: suggesting instead that it may have been a mill mound.
Sources
<1> | Bibliographic reference: Page, William (ed). 1907. The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 1. p275. |
<2> | Bibliographic reference: Hartley R F. 1987. The Medieval Earthworks of North-East Leicestershire. |
<3> | Unpublished document: Allsop, J. 1988. Earthwork survey of the mound at Melton Mowbray. |
<4> | Unpublished document: Finn, N. 2001. Trial trenching and earthworks survey of land between Leicester Road and Dalby Road, Melton Mowbray. |
<5> | Unpublished document: Hunt, Leon. 2012. An archaeological desk-based assessment for The Mount Day Centre, Melton Mowbray. |
<6> | Bibliographic reference: Elkin, Kathleen (ed). 2015. Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire. p140, "Medieval fortified sites of Leics & Rutland", Richard Knox. |
<7> | Website: 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning. |
<8> | Map: Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping. 6" (1959). |
<9> | Website: Field Investigators Comments. B H Seaman/13-JUN-1972. |
<10> | Scheduling record: Scheduled Monument List/Amendment. English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 27-NOV-1991. |
<11> | Bibliographic reference: Cathcart King, DJ. 1982. Castellarium Anglicanum: an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Vol I: Anglesey to Montgomery. p255. |
<12> | Journal: 1953. Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 29. Vol 29 (1997), p71. |
Associated Finds
Designations
- Scheduled Monument 1010666: THE MOUNT MOTTE AT MELTON MOWBRAY
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