| Summary : Moated site and chapel at Thorpe in Balne. Remains of a Norman chapel, consisting of the chancel, nave footings and a former C14th South chapel, now incorporated into 19th century farm buildings. A well-defined moat surrounds the site, and there are three fishponds. The moat, fishponds and some Medieval/post Medieval ditches are visible as earthworks on air photographs. |
More information : SE 5991 1111. Manor House [GT] Chapel [GT] Moat [GT] (Track of) [TI]
(1)
The outbuildings of a farm at Thorpe in Balne include the chancel
of a Norman chapel. (2)
The Manor House, is a 19th c. farmhouse of undistinguished
appearance. The Norman chapel, repaired in parts, is now in use
as a barn. See G.Ps S 60/9 and S 60/10.
The moat surrounding the site is well defined and almost complete
and there are three fishponds (now dry) at SE 59861118, SE
59891115, and SE 59931118. The published survey of these
earthworks (1:2500) has been revised. (3)
SE 599111 Thorpe in Balne. The 12th century chancel, with later
Medieval and 19th century alterations and now incorporated into the farm buildings, is all that remains of the original Medieval
chapel. The footings of the south wall of the nave, destroyed in
the 19th century are traceable in cow-byres. A chapel on the
south side of the chancel, probably of the 14th century, had been
destroyed previously. (4)
The three fish ponds referred to by Mrs Patourel are possibly
the ones cited by Authority 3. Another fishpond situated at SE
59931101 is included in the scheduled site. (5-6)
SE 5990 1111 and SE 5992 1101. Thorpe in Balne moated site, chapel
and fishpond. Scheduled RSM no. 13220. (7)
A Medieval moated site with associated fishponds and some Medieval/post Medieval ditch are visible as earthworks on air photographs. The moat is almost square in form and comprises a c.14m wide ditch that rises to form a slight external bank. The bank surrounds an area measuring 156m square, although the southern limit is not visible due to being disturbed by Thorpe Lane.
The (four) fishponds are as described by previous authorities, however it seems that the ponds located at SE 5989 1115 and SE 5993 1118 are joined together forming an angled ditch defining a sub-rectangular sub-division of higher ground within the eastern half of the moat. These features may be better explained as serving some other function. There are some ditches to the south of the moated site that may be associated with the pond also in that area (SE 5993 1101), alternatively they may be to do with land drainage.
(8) |