HALL GARTH

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DESCRIPTION

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The monument, known as Hall Garth, consists of a number of earthworks, including building platforms, wall lines, ditches, terraces and small quarrying scoops. It is identified as the site of the palace built on land given by King Athelstan to the Archbishop of York. Athelstan was the first king to have control over all of the English after overthrowing the Scandinavian kingdom of York in 927. In 937 he defeated an alliance of Scots and Scandanavians at the Battle of Brunanburg and as thanks for this victory he gave the manors at Sherburn and Cawood to the Archbishop of York. The manor house or palace at Sherburn was a high status site and was subsequently used as a hunting lodge by the Archbishops. By 1361 the palace had fallen into ruin and the then Archbishop, John Thoresby, ordered its demolition. The northen boundary of the monument is marked by a broad 'U' shaped depression. This is interpreted as the partially silted boundary ditch of the palace. In the western side of the monument there is a large pond cut into the rising ground to the south of the vallum. In the area between the vallum and the churchyard are a number of building platforms and the earthworks of wall lines. To the east of these building remains there are a number of broad depressions and, to the south there are a number of small quarrying scoops up to 4 metres wide. Scheduled.

Many of the features described above are visible as earthworks on air photographs.

DETAIL

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MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

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[SE 48873362] Site of King Athelstan's Palace [AT]
Hall Garth. (1)

There are no apparent remains of the palace, belonging to the
Archbishop's of York at Sherburn in Elmet '.. except a piece
of ground on the east side of the church which is now called
Hall-Garth. I suppose this was deserted on their building a
palace at Carwood'. In July 1361, John Thoresby (Archbishop)
decided '... that the old hall and chambers of the archbishop's
manor of Shireburn, being then ruinous and unnecessary, should
be demolished.'(a) and the materials used in the new choir of the
Cathedral Church. 'The manor of Shireburne, was.. given by
King Athelstan to the archbishop of York and his successors'. (2)

Additional Bibliography. (3-8)

Athelstan, King of Mercia, AD 924-941 had a palace at Sherburn
just N. of the church. The site is still called the 'Hall Garth'. (9)
Sherburn was a royal manor in the 10thC. '...and the King's manor
house was in the 'hall-garth', to the north of the church.' After
the battle of Brunanburgh, 937, King Athelstan gave the royal
manor to the See of York. The Archbishop's house was used as a
hunting lodge. (10)

SE 48873365. Hall Garth contains the foundation remains of a
large rectangular building with overall dimensions of 44.0m
north-south and 17.5m east-west, the orientation of the main axis
is north-south.
The walls are visible as low grass covered banks with a maximum
width of 3.0m and a varying height which at no point exceeds
0.3m.
South of the main building two additional steadings may be
traced, they are smaller in size and have similar overall
dimensions of 12.0m., here again the walling is visible as
grass covered banks of too indeterminate a shape for the
original building plan to be traced.
A broad lynchet bank - possibly a former road associated with
the site - runs from he main building to the modern road east of
the Garth.
No stonework is visible within any of the banks.
To the west of the main building is a large pond, its sides are
steeply cut and present a modern appearance although the
possibility must exist that it is a former fishpond cleared and
re-cut.
A 25" survey has been completed. See GPs AO/59/235/4 and 5 -
Stereo from South. (11)

Earthworks located and surveyed. (12)

Survey of 20.7.59. checked and correct. (13)

SE 488337 A deep, dry moat on the east continues two thirds of
the way up hill on which the house was. At this point the moat
is filled with churchyard debris. Parallel arm may have
existed to the west along line of sunken lane. The south arm,
partly water filled, peters out before junction with this
road. There probably was no moat on the uphill side. The moat
contained dovecote and service buildings, spoken of as "below"
manor. Churchyard has extended over site of house. (Topography
suggests that Mrs Patourel may possibly have confused north
and south). (14)

SE 488 337. Hall Garth N of church. Scheduled No NY/564. (15)

Some of the features described above are visible as earthworks on air photographs. The remains of a possibe fishpond and associated ditch are visible. To the east can be seen the building and associated bank runnung off to the east. To the south are two approximately circular structures measuring 12m in diameter.
(17)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

25" 1908

( 2a) General reference

Ex MS Torre ab. act, capit orig.

( 2) General reference

Drake F. 1736. Eboracum, 47, 45, 42, 544

( 3) General reference

Whitaker TD. 1816. Loides and Elmets, 149

( 4) General reference

Bigland V. 1819. Topographical and Historical Description of Yorkshire, 619

( 5) General reference

Allen T. 1831. History of Yorkshire, 3, 317

( 6) General reference

Schroeder H. 1852. Annals of Yorkshire, 2, 153

( 7) General reference

Bogg E. 1902. Old Kingdom of Elmet, 197, 306

( 8) General reference

Morris JE. 1932. West Riding of Yorkshire, 468-9

( 9) General reference

Wheater W. 1882. History of Sherburn and Cawood, 10, 19, 20

(10) The Yorkshire archaeological journal

21 (1910-11) Page(s)195-6

(11) Field Investigators Comments

20/07/1959

(12) Large Scale / Small Scale Map Revisers Comment

Large Scale Reviser 25" (JD Law 25/03/1960)

(13) Field Investigators Comments

29/10/1963

(14) by H E Jean Le Patourel 1973 The moated sites of Yorkshire

The Society for Medieval Archaeology monograph series1 (1966) - no.5 Page(s)127

(15) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

North Yorkshire Page(s)78

(16) Scheduled Monument Notification

22/12/1997

(17) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR MAL/67045 0147 12-Jun-1967

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