Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Moated site of Manor House (OS).
Present house 1896 on site of manor burnt down. Foundations uncovered in laying water main in about 1954.

October 1977.
Moat is dry (though muddy) and overgrown.
E.Rose (NAU), 26 October 1977.

Only the southwest and southeast arms of this homestead moat remain. Seasonally waterfilled, they are 70m long, 12m wide and have a maximum depth of 1.6m. On the island, which stands level with the surrounding area is a platform 0.3m high, but this is relatively modern.
OS Records.
R.J. Rickett (NAU), 3 July 1990.

(S1) seems to show manor house at that date not exactly on site of present house. Moat is shown as Z shaped channel with pond to northwest. Between the two are the Great Garden, Little Garden, Malthouse Yard and Stable Yard, also Dovehouse Yard and a dovecote. Various buildings shown but not easy to tell which is supposed to be the house.
E. Rose (NLA), 17 December 1997.

August 1998. Scheduled.
Section of moated area west of road alone.
Details especially the garden earthworks remaining.
Information from (S2) and (S10).
E. Rose (NLA), 14 September 1998.

Visited with agent to view area proposed for implementation of works for a paved area around the house and area, presumably a gravel drive. Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) has been applied for with watching brief required.
H. Paterson (A&E), 22 December 1998.

Site lies in garden of Manor House. Moat is seasonally wet, fringed with mature trees in some parts, and low scrub in others. Some areas of the interior have been planted with small shrubs recently, prior to scheduling. Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) is being applied for in order to construct a paved area which will require limited ground disturbance.
H. Paterson (A&E), 7 January 1999. (SMC granted)

November 1999. Earthwork survey.
West of the house, and a possible fish pond to the north-west.
See report (S3) for further details and copy of plan (S7). The results of this survey are also summarised in (S8).
B. Cushion (NLA), 8 December 1999.

January 2005. Watching Brief.
Monitoring of groundworks for extension. Contexts 10-14.
Remains of flint and mortar walls were recorded which have been interpreted as a demolished wing of the present Manor House. The foundations and a thin layer of crushed chalk were also observed which could be associated with the original medieval manor house.
No artefacts were recovered from the excavated trenches or its spoil.
See report (S4) and (S5). The results of this work are also summarised in (S9).
J. Allen (NLA), 7 September 2005.

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
Consultation of the aerial photographs, as part of the NMP mapping in the area of the previously recorded earthworks, failed to detect the majority of the features identified on the ground during the field survey (S3). This was due to tree coverage obscuring the aerial view within the area of the moat. The southwestern and southern arm of the moat was mapped (S6). The NMP mapping has provided a great amount of new information about the contemporary landscape around the Manor House, including areas possible areas of enclosures and boundary ditches (NHER 52475) and wood banks within the area of Arminghall Wood (NHER 34074).
S. Horlock (NMP), 04 November 2009.

Monument Types

• BUILDING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DRAINAGE DITCH (Medieval to 19th Century - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)
• FLOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• POND (Fish, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DOVECOTE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• GARDEN (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• WALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE
• Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Bixley (Parish Summary)