ESSENDINE CASTLE

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Medieval moat surviving as an earthwork. The moated island may have been occupied by a fortified manor house built in the late 12th/early 13th century. The outer enclosure to the south of the moat contains the parish church (TF 01 SW 10) and a number of small fishponds surviving as earthworks. A further fishpond lies to the north.

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(TF 049 128) Castle (site of). (1)

Earthworks, classified as a moated enclosure with stronger
defensive works (see plan). (2)

Residence probably built by the Busseys or Robert de Vipont at the end of the 12th or early in the 13th cent. For some centuries the residence of the Lords of the Manor and could have still been standing in Queen Elizabeth's reign. Site covers just over an acre and is encompassed by a deep moat. There is no tradition of any other Mansion House having existed, but records do not mention any castle. (This would appear to be a defended mansion house rather than a castle). (3)

The earthworks comprise a strongly ditched island with an outer court containing Essendine parish church to the south. A fishpond survives to the north but the smaller stews on the south side (shown on plan, Authy.2) were filled in before the 1939-45 war (local information). The site is flanked on the east by the River Glen. In reasonably good condition but has a fair covering of trees and undergrowth; no building foundations were seen. See 25" survey. (4)

TF 0494 1283. Essendine Castle moated site.
A large fortified manor site with a fishpond and an adjoining enclosure containing a church (TF 01 SW - excluded from the scheduling). The moat is very large, the outer dimensions being 100m square. The ditch is 30m wide on the western side, up to 40m on the North, and 3-4m deep. The moat island occupies an area of 50m x 55m. The adjoining fishpond of roughly triangular shape measures 60m x 30m maximum. The outer enclosure to the south side, is rectangular, measuring 120m x 50m overall and has access via a bridge. The strong defensive nature of the site and its similarities to Woodhead Castle (SK 91 SE 6) suggest a variation of a ringwork. Scheduled (RSM) No.17012. (5)

There is a large moated platform with a fishpond to the north and an enclosure on the south side containing a chapel (now the parish church). A complex of small fishponds is now ploughed away. The castle is described in an extent of 1417 (a-b) (6)

The moat described by the previous authorities was masked by
trees on the available air photographs. The fish ponds mapped by authority 2 to the south of the moat and thought to have been filled in before World War II by authority 4 are in fact visible on air photographs taken in 1947 (7a) and 1953 (7b). They were visible at TF 0495 1272 as a large L-shaped ditch with two parallel banks to the north of the ditch. (Morph Nos LI.771.2.1-2).

This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (7)

Analysis of the site in relation to its Mediaeval landscpe, the church, manor etc. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1959

( 2) edited by William Page 1908 The Victoria history of the county of Rutland: volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)113

( 3) edited by the late William Page 1935 The Victoria history of the county of Rutland: volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)250

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

B H Seaman/27-MAR-1972/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator

(5) Scheduled Monument Notification

English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 04-SEP-1991.

(6) by Robert F Hartley 1983 Medieval earthworks of Rutland : a survey

Leicestershire Museums, Art Galleries and Records Service archaeological reports series1 (1981) - 11 (1986) 7 Page(s)15

(6a) General reference

Blore T 1811 The History of Antiquities of Rutland Vol 1 pt 2 p201

(6b) edited by the late William Page 1935 The Victoria history of the county of Rutland: volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)250

(7) Field Investigators Comments

Damian Grady/30-NOV-1995/RCHME: Lincolnshire NMP

(7a) Aerial photograph

RAF vertical AP CPE/UK/1932/3317 17/01/1947

(7b) Aerial photograph

CUCAP AP LJ 35 and 36 21/04/1953

(8) Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society transactions

73, 1999 Page(s)19-33

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ST MARYS CHURCH
ESSENDINE

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Traditionally the former domestic chapel of the nearby castle. The South doorway, with its tympanum depicting Christ with two angels, dates to 1130-40...

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