More information : [TF 037287(1)] A Romano-British relief found about 1923 at Hall Field, Keisby, is preserved on the east wall of the south aisle of Lenton parish church.
The relief, of local limestone and similar to the Ancaster and
Wilsford stones, is of a male figure with an altar at his left side, which suggests the former presence at Keisby of a shrine.
In the field is a large rectangular ditched earthwork.
Mr C E Richardson, farmer, said that an area at the south-east corner of Hall Field was traditionally the site of a chapel. A fragment of mortarium rim, 2nd/3rd century (a) was picked up close to this spot. The only Romano-British pottery found.
Much 12th and 13th century pottery lay on the next field to the east and Mr. Richardson said that much building material had been ploughed up in the past. Clearly the site of a medieval building, and the earthwork is likely to be connected with it.
Hall Close is shown at TF 037289 on Tithe Map of 1848.
Air photographs (2) show a complex of probably medieval earthworks in Hall Close and as far west as TF03462870. (1-2)
The earthworks constitute desertion and the site of the associated hall. Building debris in the plough on either side of the "main street" marks the site of buildings and small enclosures visible on A/Ps.
Grass covered foundations of no regular shape mark the hall site and are flanked by two dry ditches running downhill, and headed by a dry pond.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Mr Richardson said the chapel was "sited" by students in the 1930s from A/Ps, at approx. TF 0382 2884. Examination of the area showed this to be unlikely as there are no traces of foundations in this apparently undisturbed area.
The possibility of a Romano-British shrine was not confirmed. The relief in Lewton Church (see GP AO/65/39/6 is not very big and may have come from elsewhere. The farmer indicated the approximate find
spot at TF 0365 2888. (3)
Not listed in D.M.V's 1971 (M. Beresford & J.G.Hurst).
No change to report of 26 5 65. The village occupies some 7.0 acres. The incumbent states that the relief is shortly to be moved to a museum.
AM survey of 26 5 65 revised. (4-5)
[TF 037 287] Earthworks of manorial moat and deserted Medieval village not easily distinguishable. (6-7)
The earthworks of the deserted Medieval village, centred at
TF 0369 2878, described by authorities 1-3, were mapped from good
quality air photographs and several features were identified.
There are three hollow ways at TF 0368 2874, TF 0374 2878 and
TF 0376 2890 running parallel to each other. The most western hollow
way has a trackway perpendicular to it, running east between a group
of ditched croft enclosures (TF 0366 2869) and blocks of ridge and
furrow (TF 0361 2874). Between the hollow ways, at TF 0369 2878, is
a corner of an incomplete ditched enclosure. There are some amorphous
earthworks in this area, which possibly represent building
structures, but they were not clearly defined and were not
transcribed.
To the east of the hollow ways is a small, incomplete, rectangular
enclosure at TF 0368 2883, containing amorphous earthworks, which may
also represent the remains of a building. At TF 0368 is an embanked
rectangular pond, at least 110m in length and 10m wide. At
TF 0372 2883 there is a second smaller rectangular pond, 20m by 10m.
There was no evidence for the remains of the chapel or the hall on
air photographs cited by authority 3, at TF 0382 2884.
(Morph No. LI.814.6.1-7)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
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