| Summary : The buried remains of a 13th century fortified manor house, altered during the mid 15th century, were found during excavations. The remains include those of the great hall, kitchens and curtain wall. This house was replaced by a 16th century hall with associated formal garden, ponds and bowling green, some of which survive as earthworks, and a tree avenue. The 16th century house burned down in 1769. |
More information : [Area TF 3939 6519] Eresby and Spilsby are both mentioned in 1086, Eresby Hall [TF 3954 6517], former seat of the Willoughby family, burnt down in 1769 and a farmhouse was built out of the ruins. The only relic is a tall pier at the end of a long avenue of trees and some remains of the moat. In addition to The Moat (Fish Pond) published at TF 3932 6529 and The Canal (Fish Pond) TF 3941 6505, St. Joseph's air photograph [AO/LP/63/126] shows traces of earthworks which may constitute a deserted village. [See TF 36 NE/11 for secular college in the parish of Eresby.]. (1-4)
Eresby House is 17th C. with modern additions. The pier, probably 17th century survives at TF 3950 6526. The `moat' and `canal', respectively a wild fowl refuge and a fishpond, are probably contemporary with the house. Smaller fishponds, to the NW have been filled in and other surviving earthworks represent landscape gardening. Published survey (25") revised. (5)
Spilsby TF 394652. Medieval and Post Medieval pottery has been recovered from the moat of the old house at Eresby by Mrs E H Rudkin. Amongst the finds was a pottery leg in orange fabric - evidently part of an equestrian figure. (6)
Find spot as in auth. 6 confirmed by Mrs Rudkin who retains the pottery - the orange fabric is particularly fine. (7)
Eresby Manor House site, now scheduled, was partly excavated by E H Rudkin in 1968. Report includes history, excavation and pottery with plan and figs. Finds are in Lincoln City and County Museum (LM131.70). (8-10)
TF 394 653. Eresby Hall (site of). Scheduled no. LI/243. (11)
Many of the Medieval and Post Medieval features described by the
previous authorities, particularly authority 10, were mapped from
good quality air photographs. They include the excavated remains of the tower (TF 3942 6527) and curtain wall belonging to the
thirteenth century manor house and some of the exposed walls of the fifteenth century hall (TF 3944 6522). The H-plan of the sixteenth century hall (TF 3946 6522) was visible as earthworks. This is aligned on a tree avenue that would have extended as far as TF 3984 6613 . To the south of the hall the outline of the bowling green was visible as earthworks. Banks at TF 3964 6524 and TF 3957 6506 possibly formed part of a formal garden. The
fishponds/ornamental ponds known as The Moat and The Canal were also mapped along with a rectangular pond at TF 3932 6509 and four oblong ponds at TF 3929 6531. Both the rectangular pond and the oblong ponds were seen as earthworks on early photos but on later photography they had been ploughed level, with only the oblong ponds showing as cropmarks. (Morph Nos LI.98.1.1-9, LI.98.2.1-2).
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
(12)
TF 39486522. The remains of the 16th century Eresby Hall, south west of Eresby House. At the end of the 18th century, a pair of gate piers, believed to have flanked the entrance to the Hall, were converted into a single pier and topped with a commemorative urn. The remains of the earlier medieval complex which predated the Hall lie to the north west. Excavations undertaken in the 1960s revealed building foundations and the remains of a stone wall and a buttressed tower. The excavation evidence suggests that the complex comprised a fortified house, including a great hall and kitchen, dating to the 13th century and rebuilt or refurbished in the mid 15th century. Scheduled. (13) |