Monument Type(s):

• FORMAL GARDEN (16th century to 17th century - 1500 AD to 1699 AD)

Summary

Scheduled Monument: Well-preserved earthworks of a 17th century formal garden associated with Soulton Hall (PRN 12406), of particular interest for the way it incorporates the remains of Soulton's earlier, medieval, moated manor site (PRN 01015).

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA9551 - 2019 Test-pitting (community excavations) at Soulton Hall Moat by DigVentures

Description

Scheduled with Soulton Hall moated site in 2000. Relevant parts of Scheduling description: ->

-> The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated site and a post-medieval formal garden within two separate areas of protection. ->

-> In the second area of protection opposite the moat, and to the east of the 17th century walled garden of Soulton Hall, lie the earthwork remains of a formal garden consisting of a series of well defined terraces and raised areas, including a rectangular building platform measuring 16m by 11m. These earthworks follow the same alignment as Soulton Hall and the walled garden and are believed to be of the same date. It is apparent that the gardens were laid out in relation to the moated site and to provide an impressive formal setting for ... Soulton Hall, 200m to the south west of the moated site. This house was sizably enlarged in the third quarter of the 17th century and is partly surrounded by a walled garden. The hall and the 17th century garden walls are Listed Grade II* and are not included in the scheduling. ->

-> The spring in the north eastern part of the garden is contained and surrounded by walls of red sandstone blocks and covered by a red sandstone slab. The complex of garden earthworks opposite the walled garden continues to the north of the modern road, incorporating and utilising the existing moated site. A series of shallow channels connect with and radiate out from the northern half of the moat, some of which also connect with the ditches which now define the western and northern boundaries of the field. An associated linear depression to the north of the moat appears to be the remains of a pond. There are slight traces of terraces on the sloping ground to the west of the moated site. ->

-> A number of features are excluded from the scheduling, these are: all modern field boundaries, fences and gates, the water trough and fodder container, the pump house and a disused section of water pipe, (above ground and encased in brick and concrete); the ground beneath all these features is, however, included in the scheduling <1>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2009. <2>

A community archaeology project in 2019 excavated 3 test-pits within the earthworks of the formal gardens. Interestingly, all the pottery recovered dated from the 12th-15th centuries and no finds were recovered dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. This raises questions regarding the nature of the earthwork features which previously have been assumed to be related to establishment of formal gardens contemporary with the building of Soulton Hall in the 16th and 17th century. <3>

Sources

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.