Record Details
| NHER Number: | 9352 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Medieval moat, Thickthorn Hall |
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Summary
A medieval moat in the grounds of Thickthorn Hall. The moat became part of an ornamental lake created in the early 19th century. Medieval documents record that this was the site of the manor house of Alan de Thickthorn in the mid 13th century.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 174 050 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG10NE |
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| Parish: | HETHERSETT, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Moated site.
Lake in grounds shown on (S1) as moat, complete and rectangular with smaller northeast rectangular adjunct. No buildings marked except bailiff's cottage in angle between two.
Ornamentalised into lake presumably when present hall built about 1820. Present lake bears no resemblance to moat, all that remains of the original is the rectangular island, and portion of the northeast enclosure.
(S2) states that (S3) notes ruins of medieval building on island in west side lake (in fact island is to southeast of lake).
(S4) notes inspectors failed to find these, and states island cultivated in 1954 producing no foundations; they conclude not a moat, but they had not seen (S1).
Gardener told E. Rose (NAU) that he had never known any ruins except a small cottage and kennels of 1890 demolished in the 1930s; foundations he stated remained under heaps of dredged silt lain over island.
He disputed Ordnance Survey claim that island had ever been cultivated.
This latter point seems correct as island has mature trees round edge and a thicket of rubber plants in centre.
No remains of medieval date at all.
Compare with Roman bowls in NCM from 'moat at Hethersett Old Hall', really from here? See under NHER 9467.
E. Rose (NAU)
Sale advert (S5) for Thickthorn Hall (site NHER 9417) states that the record of first hall is 1240.
This presumably would have stood within this moat.
E. Rose (NAU) 18 September 1985.
This is confirmed by (S6) which states Alan de Thickthorn settled the estate on his son in 1240; in 1275 Daniel de Thickthorn held his court here; in 1641 Roger Ramsey died 'siesed of the capital messuage called Thickthorn'.
Chambers stated that the old hall was taken down in 1812.
Note hydraulic ram shown on (S7).
E. Rose (NLA), 27 July 1998.
January 2001. Visit.
Waterfilled, surroundedby mature trees.
H. Paterson (A&E), 2 February 2001.
January 2003.
Area of moat difficult to assess due to the later lake changing the moat shape. The whole area wet. Ruined cottage remains adjacent to the perceived area of the original moat. Channels are very broad.
H. Paterson (A&E), 20 January 2003.
Monument Types
- ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- HYDRAULIC RAM (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
- ORNAMENTAL LAKE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Associated Finds
- POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Hethersett. |
| <S1> | Map: Drane, W.. 1846. Hethersett Tithe Map. |
| <S2> | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| <S3> | Article in Serial: May 1963. [unknown]. The Connoisseur. Vol 153, no 615, p 3. |
| <S4> | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TG 10 NE 26 [2]. |
| <S5> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1985. Hall for auction. 7 September. |
| <S6> | Unpublished Document: Norfolk County Council. [unknown]. Inventory of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Norfolk.. Vol 2. |
| <S7> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1902-7. Ordnance Survey 25 inch 2nd edition (revised 1902-7). |
Related records
| 33732 | Related to: Thickthorn Park (Monument) |
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