Monument record MLI60297 - Skellingthorpe Duck Decoy, Decoy Farm
Summary
Skellingthorpe duck decoy, 550m to the north-east of Decoy Farm.
Type and Period (1)
- DECOY POND (Post Medieval - 1600 AD to 1840 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Earthworks of a duck decoy pond constructed before 1638 (or 1693) and last used in 1840. A double-ditched oval enclosure surrounds a sub-rectangular pond with pipes curving from each corner. It is largely overgrown with scrub but with small areas of open water and the outline of the pond is still discernible. {1}{2}{3}{4}
The duck decoy at Skellingthorpe is the best preserved in the county. The complete layout and associated features survive as earthworks. It is thought to be one of the oldest decoys in Lincolnshire, and was in existence by 1693 when it was leased for a yearly rent of 16 pounds, 10 shillings, demonstrating the high income potential of the decoy. It is a significant landscape feature in a 1743 engraving of the south-west prospect of Lincoln, where it is shown to be well wooded in comparison with the surrounding treeless fen. The land around the decoy was drained and enclosed for farmland following an Act of Parliament, and it had been the last Lincolnshire decoy in active use when it ceased being worked in 1840. At about this time Decoy House was renamed Decoy Farm. For more detail see the scheduling document 30101. {5}{6}{7}
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SLI928 Bibliographic Reference: PADLEY, J.S.. 1882. THE FENS AND FLOODS OF MID-LINCOLNSHIRE. p.60, plans.1, 5.
- <2> SLI3978 Article in Serial: A. Roebuck. 1935. 'Lincolnshire Duck Decoys' in The Lincolnshire Magazine. vol.2, no.5, p.136.
- <3> SLI2881 Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. SK 97 SW: R.
- <4> SLI175 Aerial Photograph: J.K.S. St Joseph. 1945-79. Cambridge University Collection. EX 0012 (1950).
- <5> SLI4464 Scheduling Record: ENGLISH HERITAGE. 1997. SCHEDULING DOCUMENT 30101. MPP 22.
- <6> SLI3613 Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. Lincolnshire National Mapping Programme. SK9471: LI.631.1-3.
- <7> SLI4818 Unpublished Document: Heaton, A.M.. 1990. Skellingthorpe Decoy: A Fenland Feature Near Lincoln. -.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 9413 7186 (310m by 719m) Estimated from Sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SKELLINGTHORPE, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- Event - Survey: Aerial photo of duck decoy (ELI990)
- Event - Survey: Site visit to duck decoy (ELI961)
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Oct 4 2023 11:32AM
Feedback?
Your feedback is welcome. If you can provide any new information about this record, please contact us.