More information : "Mr J Dalziel,resident farm manager, said that the site he knew as `the monastery' was the large moat at TF 002997 (published on 25" but not named), which is now ploughed out. Mrs E Rudkin (Honorary Correspondent) however, was of the opinion that the exact [Gilbertine] Priory site [at Redbourne] was unknown, and that the former`moat' was fishponds and agricultural works associated with the house. Published survey (25") revised." (1)
TF 002 997. Moated site, former dry moat now showing as soilmark, c.140m. N-S, c.110m E-W, double-ditched in SE quadrant, entrance in north side with trackway running NW, indications of internal features. Levelled and ploughed late 1940s.
Suggested as possible site of Gilbertine Priory (see SE 90 SE 28 for documentary details) together with Redbourne Hayes (SE 90 SE 26) but no conclusive evidence to support either. (2)
In May 1948, Mrs E Rudkin visited a moated site at Hayes "(SE 002 997)" (sic), to the east of Redbourne village.The moat had just been ploughed for the first time in living memory and she was able to collect an assemblage of some 160 sherds of medieval pottery from the south-west corner of the site where she observed considerable signs of burning. The pottery, together with a quantity of tile and other artefacts was lodged in the City and County Museum, Lincoln (LM 237.76). A provisional dating of the 14th or 15th century was given to the pottery but in 1981, Hayfield reassessed the sherds as an apparently uncontaminated 12th century group derived from domestic occupation.
An approximate correlation exists between the date of the pottery and the documented history of the Gilbertine priory of Tunstall in Redbourne which enjoyed a brief existence in the 12th century. However, neither Rudkin's fieldwork or Cambridge University air photographs revealed traces of stone buildings within the moated site although it is known that many religious foundations started with timber buildings which were gradually replaced by stone. (3)
The moat, possibly a priory site, was seen as cropmarks and mapped from good quality air photographs. It is as described by authority 2. The only addition is that there appears to be the foundations of a causeway running up to the northern entrance of the moat. The causeway was seen as a stone and earth foundation, 90m long, centred at TF 0015 9983. (Morph No. LI.506.1.1 - 1.2)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
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