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Summary

Moated manorial complex immediately north west of Elm Tree Farm at Ner Gars

Full description

EARTHWORK SITE IN A FIELD KNOWN AS NER GARS. POSSIBLE MOATED MANOR SITE WITH BOUNDARY WALL AND CORNER TOWERS. ONLY EARTHWORKS ARE NOW VISIBLE, WITH ADJOINING AGRICULTURAL AND DRAINAGE WORKS. {1}{2}~ TWO TENURIAL ELEMENTS APPEAR AND PERSIST IN THE DOCUMENTATION FOR HEAPHAM BUT IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW THEY RELATE TO THE TOPOGRAPHICAL DIVISION, NOR IS IT CERTAIN WHEN EITHER WAS MANORIALISED IN A WAY THAT MIGHT HAVE GIVEN RISE TO A MOATED RESIDENCE. AT THE NORTH END OF THE EASTERN SETTLEMENT NUCLEUS LIES A SMALL MOATED SITE. A VERY SLIGHT EXTERNAL BANK ON THE WEST MAY HAVE ORIGINALLY SERVED TO DAM WATER THAT COULD BE LED IN BY A DITCH IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER AND ALLOWED OUT IN THE CENTRE OF THE WEST SIDE. A POND TO THE NORTH IS SHOWN MORE NEARLY RECTANGULAR ON EARLY LARGE-SCALE OS MAPS, AND PERHAPS FORMED THE NORTH SIDE OF A TRAPEZOIDAL BLOCK OF MANORIAL CLOSES SURROUNDING THE MOAT. THE PROPERTY BLOCK COULD HAVE BEEN LARGER STILL, AND MAY HAVE INCLUDED TWO OTHER CLOSES TO THE NORTH AND EAST, THUS FORMING A SQUARE BLOCK WITHIN THE OLD ENCLOSURES SHOWN ON THE 1776 ENCLOSURE MAP. BOTH THESE CLOSES CONTAIN RIDGE-AND-FURROW. THIS BLOCK, MADE UP OF 'MOAT CLOSE', 'GREAT CLOSE' AND 'NER GARS' IN 1776, HAD A BUILDING STANDING IN ITS SOUTHEAST CORNER. THEN, THE PRE-ENCLOSURE OPEN FIELD TO ITS EAST WAS CALLED 'HALL FIELD'. {3}~, HTM 20M
The scheduling includes a medieval manorial complex immediately north west of Elm Tree Farm. The complex, lying to the north east of the village church, represents one of the two foci of settlement at Heapham. The moated island takes the form of a roughly square platform, measuring 24m across, completely enclosed by a water-filled moat, 8m to 12m. The surface of the island is slightly uneven, being raised in places above the general ground level, with a mound at the north west corner. Stone fragments identified at the northern edge of the island indicate that the remains of structures on the island. {10}

<1> OS CARD INDEX, SK 88 NE:2,1964, FEATHERSTON K J A (Index). SLI2555.

<2> SMR FILE, SK 88 NE:B,1978, TMA (Index). SLI3082.

<3> P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn, 1991, Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire, pp 110-1;Fig18,81;ARCHIVE (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1063.

<4> BOND, C.J., 1979, MOATED SITES RESEARCH GROUP, No.6 p14 (Unpublished Document). SLI558.

<5> MEDIEVAL VILLAGE RESEARCH GROUP, 1978, MEDIEVAL VILLAGE RESEARCH GROUP, No.26 p10 (Article in Serial). SLI784.

<6> COLE, C., 1993-2002, InnerVisions Business Presentations, UK/E/L:1004VL,1993, (Aerial Photograph). SLI181.

<7> Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1992-1996, National Mapping Programme, SK8888:LI.11.1.2,1992, (Map). SLI3613.

<8> Paul Everson, 1975-90, RCHM, 5164/15,1977, (Aerial Photograph). SLI196.

<9> Paul Everson, 1975-90, RCHM, 2928/40,1976, (Aerial Photograph). SLI196.

<10> English Heritage, 1999, Scheduling document 31612, MPP 22 (Scheduling Record). SLI5383.

Monument Types

• MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Earthwork survey in Heapham
• Field observation of moated site at Ner Gars

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

Related records

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