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Name: | Moated site north of Spinney Farm, Melton Mowbray |
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HER Ref: | MLE3989 |
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Parish: | Melton Mowbray, Melton, Leicestershire |
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Grid Reference: | SK 762 219 |
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Map: | Coming soon |
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Monument Types
- ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
- FISHPOND (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
- MOAT (Medieval - 1067 AD to 1539 AD)
- NUNNERY (Early Medieval - 1148 AD? to 1349 AD?)
- GRANGE? (Early Medieval to Late Medieval - 1300 AD? to 1539 AD)
Summary
A moated site with adjacent fishpond and enclosures. It was probably a grange of Lewes Priory, though it may have been the site of a C12th nunnery. C13th and C14th pottery has been found in the vicinity. The site was Scheduled in 1996.
Additional Information
Scheduled Monument description:
The moated grange site near Spinney Farm lies on the east side of Scalford Brook and is associated with a series of outlying banks and outer feeder channels. The moated site is rectangular in shape and is orientated north-south, parallel to the brook. It measures 95m x 68m in maximum dimension. Overall, the moat arms are about 2m deep and range in width from 14m on the eastern side to 8m on the northern and western sides. Inner and outer banks are visible along the western and northern arms of the moat. The inner bank is about 1m-1.5m high, while the outer one is about 0.5m high on the northern side but shows up only as a slight hump on the western side. Outside the moat there are a number of earthwork banks associated with the water management of the site. These include an outflow channel to the south and a further channel running parallel with the northern moat arm, which may originally have been connected to Scalford Brook. A series of irregular earthworks running parallel with the western edge of the moat may be artificial levees or banks to further control water flow. Historical records identify the moat as a possible grange or farm owned by the priory at Lewes, Sussex, but later passing into the ownership of the local town estate.
In January 1964 a gas pipeline came very near to the site and from the trench came a large collection of medieval pottery of the first half of the C14th (shelly ware, Nottingham ware) collected by Gilbert King. The accession number (64.1964) refers to pottery, small finds, etc, medieval and Roman. Now returned by MH mostly Nottingham Splashed Ware, one sherd of abraded Roman.
In 1977 Mr King's pottery was borrowed and recorded. It was C13th-C14th and the material may well have been a pit group. There are a few sherds of Roman greyware. (PL 10/02/77)
<1> 1977-8, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 53, Vol 53 (1978), p78 (Journal). SLE5951.
A moat with adjacent fishpond and enclosures. Surveyed by DB et al 1977. (RFH 16/03/87)
<2> Hunt, Philip, 1979, The Story of Melton Mowbray, p102-3 (Bibliographic reference). SLE379.
Hunt says that the land called The Spinneys was owned in the medieval period by Lewes Priory and passed then to the Town Estate (via intermediaries). It seems likely that the site may have been a grange of Lewes. (PL 13/07/89)
<3> Hartley R F, 1987, The Medieval Earthworks of North-East Leicestershire, p11 & p32 (Bibliographic reference). SLE496.
"This site is a moated grange farm or manor house site, but no documentary evidence for its ownership has been found by the author. There is a substantial moated platform (1), a terrace, perhaps for a garden or orchard (2), a group of four small rectangular "pillow mounds" (3) and on the south side an area of foundations presumably representing the farm buildings. Immediately south-west of the moat was a pond of undetermined extent retained by a dam (4) across the flood-plain."
<4> Elkin, Kathleen (ed), 2015, Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire, p89-90, "Religious houses of Leicestershire and Rutland", Peter Liddle (Bibliographic reference). SLE5149.
The Lincoln Diocesan records note the creation of a nunnery called Spinney dedicated to St Mary on land in or around Melton. This earthwork site seems like to represent the site. Hartley's survey reveals a square with raised areas that could be a claustral arrangement. The site seems never to have been referred to again and was presumably short lived. Pottery recovered from the site suggests C12th/C13th and later occupation. The site may have continued in use as a grange of Monks Kirby Priory in North Warwickshire.
<5> Thompson, S, 1991, Women Religious, the Founding of English Nunneries after the Norman Conquest (Bibliographic reference). SLE6290.
Work by MF refers to a documentary record of Robert Bishop of Lincoln granting the formation of a nunnery of the Sisters of the Blessed Mary of Spinney using land at The Spinney which was given to them by Roger de Mowbray. The house is thought to have existed between 1148 and 1164. (WS 25/02/03)
<6> 2016, National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning (Website). SLE4981.
SUMMARY: "The site of a moated grange, possibly of Lewes Priory, near Spinney Farm. The site is rectangular in shape and measures 95m by 68m in maximum dimension. It is associated with a series of outlying banks and outer feeder channels which controlled water flow."
URL: 'https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/NRHE/RecordDetail.aspx?pageid=45&he_uid=321466', accessioned 04/12/2023.
<7> Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping (Map). SLE7243.
(SK 7618 2192) Earthworks [G.T.]
<8> Hoskins, W G (ed), 1969, The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 2 (Bibliographic reference). SLE4461.
As <9>
<9> 1956, Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 32, p82 (Journal). SLE5968.
A rectangular moat with a court to the west. Scheduled ancient monument.
<10> Field Investigators Comments, B H Seaman/28-JUN-1962 (Website). SLE3488.
Moat as described. Published survey (25" 1930) revised.
<11> Field Investigators Comments, B H Seaman/21-APR-1972 (Website). SLE3488.
No change.
<12> Scheduled Monument List/Amendment, English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 11/02/1992 (Scheduling record). SLE7368.
SK 7618 2192. Moated grange at Spinney Farm, Melton Mowbray.
The moat is rectangular, measuring 95m x 68m. The arms are 2.0m deep, and range in width from 14m on the eastern side to 8.0m on the northern and western sides. Inner and outer banks are visible on the northern and western sides of the moat. The inner bank is 1.0-1.5m high, the outer is 0.5m high. Outside the moat there are a number of earthworks associated with water management of the site.
Historical records identify the moat as a possible grange belonging to the Priory of Lewes in Sussex, later passing to the ownership of the local town estate.
Scheduled (RSM) No. 17015.
Sources
<1> | Journal: 1977-8. Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 53. Vol 53 (1978), p78. |
<2> | Bibliographic reference: Hunt, Philip. 1979. The Story of Melton Mowbray. p102-3. |
<3> | Bibliographic reference: Hartley R F. 1987. The Medieval Earthworks of North-East Leicestershire. p11 & p32. |
<4> | Bibliographic reference: Elkin, Kathleen (ed). 2015. Medieval Leicestershire: Recent Research on the Medieval Archaeology of Leicestershire. p89-90, "Religious houses of Leicestershire and Rutland", Peter Liddle. |
<5> | Bibliographic reference: Thompson, S. 1991. Women Religious, the Founding of English Nunneries after the Norman Conquest. |
<6> | Website: 2016. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) accessioning. |
<7> | Map: Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 (6") historic mapping. |
<8> | Bibliographic reference: Hoskins, W G (ed). 1969. The Victoria County History of the County of Leicester, Volume 2. |
<9> | Journal: 1956. Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Volume 32. p82. |
<10> | Website: Field Investigators Comments. B H Seaman/28-JUN-1962. |
<11> | Website: Field Investigators Comments. B H Seaman/21-APR-1972. |
<12> | Scheduling record: Scheduled Monument List/Amendment. English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 11/02/1992. |
Associated Finds
- SHERD (Early Medieval to Late Medieval - 1201 AD to 1400 AD)
Designations
- SHINE: Medieval Grange earthworks at Spinney Grange Farm, east of Scheduled Monument
- Scheduled Monument 1014391: MOATED GRANGE AT SPINNEY FARM, MELTON MOWBRAY
Associated Images
Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.