MEKIL HALL

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

LAUND HALL

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

Possible site of a fortified house called Mekil Hall or Laund Hall. Medieval pottery and a stretch of flint walling have been found in the field and cropmarks have been identified on aerial photographs.

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

(TG 102311) Cropmarking on RAF air photographs suggests moated house site.
(TG 10293121) Sherds of coarse Medieval pottery found 1947 (1,2)

The history and identification of this site is uncertain. It is generally agreed (3,4,5,6,8) that an estate at Saxthorpe became the property of Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke (died 1324). Blomefield (3) states that the estate of Mekil Hall was given to William de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, during the reign of Henry III (1216-72), and that Aymer de Valence gave "a considerable part of his manor of Mickil-hall" to Simon de Creping; this manor then being known as Crepings or Laund Hall.

Collyer (5a) states that "William de Valence had a castle in this place" but there is no evidence for this. Rye (6) rejects Collyer's
view and states that Aymer never had a licence to crenellate here. The most plausible view is that of Blake (4) who states that Aymer was the son of William de Valence, and that he acquired estates in Norfolk through his mother, Joan of Munchensy "and built a manor-house at Saxthorpe".

The Norfolk Archaeological Index (8) refer to this site as the "alleged site of 'Saxthorpe Castle'," and mentions coarse Medieval pottery, bones and nails being dug up here.

The Eastern Daily Press report (7) quoted the farmer, Mr Frederick Jarvis, as having found a 30 foot length of flint wall in the field
which he believes may be part of the Medieval Lound Hall. (3-8)

The cropmark centred TG 10233118 occupies a slight knoll. The field is arable but apart from a considerable scatter of flint nothing significant shows. However, Mr. Jarvis (a) confirmed that this is the area in which Medieval pottery was found and that flint walling lies about 3ft down.

The cropmark appears to indicate a ditched enclosure measuring some 107 metres overall NW-SE, and some 68 metres transversely; there is an entrance on the NE side and vague internal markings.

The site is not a moat and in view of the documentary evidence a defended manor house seems the most likely explanation. (9)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Annotated Record Map

Corr 6" 1953 (R R Clarke)

( 2) Aerial photograph

APs (RAF 106G/UK/1428 16.4.46 4362-3)

( 3) General reference

Hist of Norf 6 1807 497-8 (F Blomefield)

( 4) Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society Norfolk archaeology : a journal of archaeology and local history

Norf Arch 30 1952 236-7 (W J Blake) 30 Page(s)236-7

( 5) Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society Norfolk archaeology : a journal of archaeology and local history

Norf Arch 31 1957 174 (B Cozens-Hardy) 31 Page(s)174

( 5a) General reference

Report on the Lothian MSS (D'Arcy B Collyer)

( 6) General reference

Castles & Manor Hos Norf 1916 52-3 (W Rye)

( 7) Eastern Daily Press

Eastern Daily Press 29.2.72

( 7b) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

( 8) General reference

Norf Arch Index Rec Card 6680/1

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

F1 RD 07-JUL-80

( 9a) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.

EH Prints
English Heritage
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
NMR
ViewFinder