Please read our guidance page about heritage designations.

Description

Reasons for Designation A monastic grange was a farm owned and run by a monastic community and independent of the secular manorial system of communal agriculture and servile labour. The function of granges was to provide food and raw materials for consumption within the parent monastic house itself, and also to provide surpluses for sale for profit. The first monastic granges appeared in the 12th century but they continued to be constructed and used until the Dissolution. This system of agriculture was pioneered by the Cistercian order but was soon imitated by other orders. Some granges were worked by resident lay-brothers (secular workers) of the order but others were staffed by non-resident labourers. The majority of granges practised a mixed economy but some were specialist in their function. Five types of grange are known: agrarian farms, bercaries (sheep farms), vaccaries (cattle ranches), horse studs and industrial complexes. A monastery might have more than one grange and the wealthiest houses had many. Frequently a grange was established on lands immediately adjacent to the monastery, this being known as the home grange. Other granges, however, could be found wherever the monastic site held lands. On occasion these could be located at some considerable distance from the parent monastery. Granges are broadly comparable with contemporary secular farms although the wealth of the parent house was frequently reflected in the size of the grange and the layout and architectural embellishment of the buildings. Additionally, because of their monastic connection, granges tend to be much better documented than their secular counterparts. No region was without monastic granges. The exact number of sites which originally existed is not precisely known but can be estimated, on the basis of numbers of monastic sites, at several thousand. Of these, however, only a small percentage can be accurately located on the ground today. Of this group of identifiable sites, continued intensive use of many has destroyed much of the evidence of archaeological remains. In view of the importance of granges to medieval rural and monastic life, all sites exhibiting good archaeological survival are identified as nationally important. Mareham Grange survives well as a series of buried deposits. The buried building remains and features will preserve valuable evidence for the layout and function of the grange. Waterlogging in the base of the moat will preserve organic remains (such as timber, leather and seeds) which will give an insight into domestic and economic activity on the site. As a result of archaeological survey and documentary research the plan of the moat and the establishment and ownership history of the grange are quite well understood. Details The monument includes the buried remains of a medieval moated grange, known as Mareham Grange, which belonged to Sempringham Priory. By 1086 the land was held by Guy de Craon whose descendants granted land to Sempringham Priory in the mid-12th century. It is likely that sheep farming was the principal activity of the grange established here. After the Dissolution the land was acquired by Sir Thomas Horsman and became part of the main estate of Burton Pedwardine. Situated on flat land, immediately to the north of Salt Box Farm, the buried remains cover an area measuring approximately 230m by 180m. Appearing as a parallelogram in plan, the buried remains of the moat enclose an area measuring 210m by 170m. The moat arms have been infilled but survive as buried features up to 15m in width, visible on aerial photographs. The north eastern corner of the moat was cut by the construction of a railway line in the 19th century. A slightly raised area at the south west corner of the moated island, where fragments of stonework are evident in the ploughsoil, indicates the location of buried building remains thought to include domestic and agricultural buildings. Internal divisions of the moated island, such as yards, paddocks and gardens, are shown on aerial photographs. Pottery fragments dating from the 14th to 16th centuries and buried stone walls have formerly been noted within the area of the moated island. All fences are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included. Sources Books and journals Healey, RH, Roffe, DR, Some medieval and later earthworks in South Lincolnshire, (1990) Healey, RH, Roffe, DR, Some medieval and later earthworks in South Lincolnshire, (1990) Other Johnson, JS, (1976) Johnson, JS, (1976) Lossco-Bradley, PM, (1988)

External Links (1)

Sources (2)

Location

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)