| Summary : Griff medieval monastic grange, visible as earthworks and cropmarks. Although the remains at Griff have long been believed to be those of a medieval village mentioned in the Domesday Book, an analysis of the earthworks suggests that they are primarily the remains of the monastic grange at Griff. The earthworks were surveyed by English Heritage in 2002 and as part of the North York Moors National Mapping Programme (2010-2011), identifying banks, ditches, field boundaries, hollow ways, ponds, buildings, rectiliner enclosures, ridge and furrow and boundary banks and ditches. A series of post medieval farmsteads abut elements of the grange. A post medieval quarry appears to have truncated part of the grange to the south. A further field system to the south-east of the grange has been truncated by elements of the grange and may be early medieval in date. Most of the earthwork features are extant on the latest 2009 vertical photography. Some of the more peripheral features are under dense tree cover. |
More information : (SE 58468371) Mediaeval Pottery found AD 1949 (NAT)
SE586837. Griff mentioned in Domesday, and later as "a grange of Rievaulx possibly preceded by a vill". The site shows clear evidence of the layout of a Medieval village - field enclosures, walls of small plots or buildings, a sunken way and some Medieval pottery. Foundations are supposed to exist NW of this site at 'Sugar Hill' although these may be smelting kilns or lime pits. Plan. (1-2)
Small rectangular enclosures and part of a sunken way are visible on APs. No traces of Foundations NW of this site. (3)
The village is located on a level, open, upland site 158.0m above sea level, occupies c. 7.0 acres, and is now under pasture. The remains consist of low banks and house platforms with a maximum height of 0.4m. There is much evidence of stone walling beneath the turf.
On the E side of the site are several small field enclosures within a boundary bank. Near the SW corner is an old quarry, and its spoil heaps overlie some of the village remains. A sunken way borders these spoil heaps on the W and trends in a NE direction. On the N side of the village are several unsurveyable amorphous hollows and low mounds.
No surface finds were made at the time of investigation, and no information was gained re the published finds of 1949
The present Griff farmhouse is modern. Surveyed on 1:2500 MSD. Not visible for survey on OS APs (a). For kilns at Sugar Hill see SE 58 SE 40. (4)
Griff (SE 588838) with four carucates of land, and Stiltons (SE 598846) with five carucates, were part of the foundation grant made in 1131 to Rievaulx Abbey, subsequently becoming the grange of Griff. Both manors are included in Domesday Book, it appearing that they had been wasted c.1069-70, and had remained as waste in 1086. There is no evidence whether the manors had been resettled before 1131, but at this time the names Grif Haia and Little Haia of Thilleston (Stiltons) provide some indication of existing agricultural use. At the Dissolution the grange comprised some 490 acres. The site is seen by Platt as an association of grange and peasant settlement. (5)
SE 584 837. Deserted village of Griff W of Griff Farm. Scheduled no. NY/515. (6)
Scheduled, National Number 32673. (7)
SE58488375. In November & December 2002, English Heritage carried out a detailed field investigation and survey of Griff.
Earthwork remains of Griff grange and later farmsteads. Although the remains at Griff have long been believed to be those of a medieval village, an analysis of the earthworks suggests that they are primarily the remains of the monastic grange at Griff. The lands were granted to Rievaulx Abbey along with the initial foundation grant in 1131. The princiapl remains consist of a farmstead, which is made up of four quadrants, a hollow-way (SE 58 SE 67) and a possible chapel site (SE 58 SE 70). The farmstead contains numerous remains of buildings - some with a domestic function, and some barns. Various linear banks represent boundaries relating to the farmstead and rectilinear enclosures are likely to have been used as paddocks. A small building on a platform to the west of the core of the farmstead may well be a chapel associated with the grange (SE 58 SE 70). To the north of the field, truncated by the modern field boundary, are a number of small farmsteads, comprising of buildings, yards and paddocks (SE 58 SE 69). It seems likely that these date to the post-medieval period, relating to continued agricultural activity following the demise of Rievaulx Abbey in December 1538. There is virtually no surviving evidence of any pre-grange activity at the site. The hollow-way (SE 58 SE 67) may date to the early medieval period, but was obviously retained in use during the medieval period, as it respects the western boundary of the grange farmstead.
A full report on the Level 3 investigation, which includes full description and analysis, plans at 1:1000, photographs and interpretative drawings, is available through the NMR. The remainder of the archive material is also available (8).
A medieval grange, consisting of banks, ditches, field boundaries, hollow ways, ponds, buildings, rectiliner enclosures, ridge and furrow and boundary banks and ditches, is visible as earthworks and cropmarks on air photographs, centred at SE 5842 8378. A series of post medieval farmsteads abut elements of the grange (UID 1379400). A post medieval quarry appears to have truncated part of the grange to the south (UID 1379412). A further field system to the south-east of the grange has been truncated by elements of the grange and may be early medieval in date (UID 1379398). Most of the earthwork features are extant on the latest 2009 vertical photography. Some of the more peripheral features are under dense tree cover.
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