| Summary : Earthworks of a medieval fortified moated manor house. Field investigations in 1972 found slight earthworks comprising the western arm of the moat, which then measured over 26 metres in width and less than 1 metre deep. Traces of the north east and part of the east arm were also recorded. Licences to crenellate the house were granted in February 1264, March 1264, February 1268 and January 1329. It is possible, however, that one of the records in 1264 was a duplication since the second was granted so soon after the first. Earthworks and cropmakrs relating to the manor are visible on air photographs and lidar and were mapped as part of the Changing Chalk: Downs from Above Aerial Survey project.
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| More information : (Name TQ 24101157) Perching Manor House (GT) (site of) (TI). (1)
The medieval manor house or castle of Perching stood 300 yds west of the existing farmhouse and its site is marked by a large square mound with faint traces of a moat. The western moat has not been completely filled in and may be clearly seen as a wide shallow depression crossing the field. There are indications of there having been a counter-scarp bank to the western moat. No masonry now remains above ground but ruins are said to have been visible within the memory of a generation ago. (2)
The site lies upon the E slopes of a ridge and is under the plough. The mound described above cannot now be recognised but the W arm of a moat, which, by reason of the slope of the ground must have been dry, runs from TQ 24061140 to TQ 24071154 and is over 26.0m in width and less than 1.0m in depth, having been much reduced and spread by the plough.
Traces of the NE corner and part of the E arm are visible at
TQ 24221153.
Survey of 20 4 59 still correct. (3)
Licenced to crenellate in 1260, 1264, 1268 and 1329. (4)
Thsi source is a digital copy of the evidence used by King (author of source 4) to support his claim that the manor was granted a licence to crenellate in 1260. It would seem that this was a typing error on King's part, since this source listed licences granted in March 1264. This licence for Perching Manor House was granted on 16 March 1264. (5)
This particular licence to crenellate is stating as being granted on 22 February 1264.
The entry for 8 February 1268, states that Robert Aguillon can "enclose..his manor..with a ditch and a wall of stone and lime and to fortify and crenellate it".
On 25 January 1329, Robert de Arden is granted licence to crenellate this house. (6)
According to feedback received via the PastScape website, it is likely that the two licences granted in 1264 were a duplication, since they were granted so close together. (7)
Some elements of the medieval manor of perching are visible as earthworks and cropmarks on air photographs and lidar. The most extant earthworks are a broad ditch and flanking bank which divides the modern field. This might be what is described above as part of the moat, however there are obvious returns to the ditch to suggest that it was a moat - more an extensive drain/field boundary - and possibly not entirely relating to the manor, but later activity. Numerous cropmarks were observed in the south-east corner of the complex. These appear to show ditched rectilinear enclosures and a possible trackway. There also appears to be the buried remains a building showing on air photographs from 1976 and 2006. The cropmarks are very poor quality however and the definition is poor, but there may be a range of buildings. In the north-east of the field, an irregular hollow way extends south-east to north-west. Amorphous earthworks alongside this might suggest building platforms but not with enough clarity to map. Only shallow elements of some of the earthwork features remain extant on the latest 2019 Environment Agency lidar. (8-10)
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