Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Mekil Hall
Hob Uid: 132037
Location : Norfolk North Norfolk Corpusty and Saxthorpe
Grid Ref : TG1020031100
Summary : Possible site of a fortified house called Mekil Hall or Laund Hall. Medieval pottery and a stretch of flint walling have been found in the field and cropmarks have been identified on aerial photographs.
More information : (TG 102311) Cropmarking on RAF air photographs suggests moated house site. (TG 10293121) Sherds of coarse Medieval pottery found 1947 (1,2) The history and identification of this site is uncertain. It is generally agreed (3,4,5,6,8) that an estate at Saxthorpe became the property of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke (died 1324). Blomefield (3) states that the estate of Mekil Hall was given to William de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, during the reign of Henry III (1216-72), and that Aymer de Valence gave "a considerable part of his manor of Mickil-hall" to Simon de Creping; this manor then being known as Crepings or Laund Hall. Collyer (5a) states that "William de Valence had a castle in this place" but there is no evidence for this. Rye (6) rejects Collyer's view and states that Aymer never had a licence to crenellate here. The most plausible view is that of Blake (4) who states that Aymer was the son of William de Valence, and that he acquired estates in Norfolk through his mother, Joan of Munchensy "and built a manor-house at Saxthorpe". The Norfolk Archaeological Index (8) refer to this site as the "alleged site of 'Saxthorpe Castle'," and mentions coarse Medieval pottery, bones and nails being dug up here. The Eastern Daily Press report (7) quoted the farmer, Mr Frederick Jarvis, as having found a 30 foot length of flint wall in the field which he believes may be part of the Medieval Lound Hall. (3-8) The cropmark centred TG 10233118 occupies a slight knoll. The field is arable but apart from a considerable scatter of flint nothing significant shows. However, Mr. Jarvis (a) confirmed that this is the area in which Medieval pottery was found and that flint walling lies about 3ft down. The cropmark appears to indicate a ditched enclosure measuring some 107 metres overall NW-SE, and some 68 metres transversely; there is an entrance on the NE side and vague internal markings. The site is not a moat and in view of the documentary evidence a defended manor house seems the most likely explanation. (9)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : Corr 6" 1953 (R R Clarke)
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : APs (RAF 106G/UK/1428 16.4.46 4362-3)
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Source Number : 9
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Source details : F1 RD 07-JUL-80
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Source Number : 9a
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Source details : Mr Jarvis (Farmer) Prospect Point
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : Hist of Norf 6 1807 497-8 (F Blomefield)
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Source Number : 4
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Source details : Norf Arch 30 1952 236-7 (W J Blake)
Page(s) : 236-7
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Vol(s) : 30

Source Number : 5
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Source details : Norf Arch 31 1957 174 (B Cozens-Hardy)
Page(s) : 174
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Source Number : 5a
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Source details : Report on the Lothian MSS (D'Arcy B Collyer)
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Source Number : 6
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Source details : Castles & Manor Hos Norf 1916 52-3 (W Rye)
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Source Number : 7
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Source details : Eastern Daily Press 29.2.72
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Source Number : 7b
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Source details : F Jarvis farmer Prospect Point
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Source Number : 8
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Source details : Norf Arch Index Rec Card 6680/1
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : Medieval
Monument End Date : 1540
Monument Start Date : 1066
Monument Type : Fortified House, Wall
Evidence : Conjectural Evidence, Cropmark, Find

Components and Objects:

Period : Medieval
Component Monument Type : Fortified House, Wall
Object Type : VESSEL
Object Material : Pottery

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : SMR Number (Norfolk)
External Cross Reference Number : 6680-1
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : TG 13 SW 2
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : FIELD OBSERVATION (VISUAL ASSESSMENT)
Start Date : 1980-07-07
End Date : 1980-07-07

Historic England Research Records

Mekil Hall