Record Details
| NHER Number: | 4935 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Possible site of castle and/or medieval hall, Methwold |
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Summary
This is reportedly the site of a castle or hall. There were still some standing remains here in the 19th century. Cropmarks of the layout of the building and surrounding features including fishponds can be seen on aerial photographs and from the church tower.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TL 7314 9491 |
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| Map Sheet: | TL79SW |
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| Parish: | METHWOLD, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Site of Hall (Ordnance Survey).
Some remains still in late 19th century. See (S1).
Now not a trace remains - site levelled as football pitch.
November 1975.
(S2) claims that this was a castle, the outer bailey of which was taken into the churchyard, and that the coping stones of the churchyard wall came from this. It mentions that the plan of the buildings could sometimes be seen from the church tower, and that there were fishponds and a dam nearby. Ordnance Survey inspectors in 1972 saw traces on air photographs and found that local tradition said that cropmarks could still be seen from the church tower in dry weather. They could not identify the coping stones or the dam, but found two overgrown fishponds.
E. Rose (NAU).
(S1) is also confusing - he states that this was a 15th century house, but incorporating stone from an older hall demolished at the time of Edward III, which stood in Hall Close or Dutchy Meadow - is this the same field?
E. Rose (NAU).
Note however that the northern part of NHER 24980 is marked on old maps as Hall Close, and that there are fishponds here (NHER 32250). Possibly the site was much larger in extent that originally assumed.
E. Rose (NLA), 12 July 2004.
Monument Types
- BAILEY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- CASTLE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- DAM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- GREAT HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Associated Finds
- ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TL 79 SW 5 [3]. |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Methwold. |
| <S1> | Monograph: Bryant, T. H. 1900. Hundred of Grimshoe. The Churches of Norfolk. |
| <S2> | Monograph: Gedge, J.D.. 1893. History of a village community in the Eastern Counties.. 2. |
Related records - none
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