Details

This monument includes a medieval manorial settlement situated on level ground to the north west of the village of Greetham.. The manorial settlement is evident as a series of earthworks and buried remains, visible as earth and stone banks standing to a height of 0.5m. These form a rectangular enclosure with internal subdivisions that represent the principal house of the manor, with formal gardens and an ice house. Documentary evidence indicates that the manor house held a park in 1446 and was in the possession of the Earls of Warwick from 1090 to 1491.

SOURCES
PastScape Monument No:- 325373
NMR:- SK91SW5
Leicestershire HER:- 5334

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Medieval manorial settlements, comprising small groups of houses with associated gardens, yards and paddocks, supported communities devoted primarily to agriculture, and acted as the foci for manorial administration. Although the sites of many of these settlements have been occupied continuously down to the present day, many others declined in size or were abandoned at some time during the medieval and post-medieval periods, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries. The reasons for desertion were varied but often reflected declining economic viability, changes in land- use such as enclosure or emparkment, or population fluctuations as a result of widespread epidemics such as the Black Death. As a consequence of their abandonment, these settlements are frequently undisturbed by later occupation and contain well-preserved archaeological deposits, providing information on the diversity of medieval settlement patterns and farming economy, and on the structure and changing fortunes of manorial communities.
The medieval manorial settlement near to St Mary's Church at Greetham is well preserved. It retains significant archaeological deposits relating to the construction, layout, use and abandonment of the settlement . This monument will have played an important role within the medieval landscape and will not only provide information about settlement change but will add to our knowledge and understanding of the social and economic structure of medieval communities.

Source: Historic England