Monument record 2116/3 - Newhall Manor

<1> Dodgson J McN, 1970-2, 1981, The Place-Names of Cheshire, vol .III p.101 (Book). SCH3228.

'the new hall', 'hall in a wood' - this was probably the new house built by the lords Audley c.1227. it was fortified, probably with a peel tower.

<2> Leland, 1536, Itinerary (Book). SCH1497.

Leyland reports in the reign of Henry VIII 'there was a place of the lorde Audeleys in Cestreshyre, betuixt Cumbremere and Nantwiche, caullid Newhall Tower. It is now doune. There be motes and fair water'.

<3> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Turner R 11/07/1988 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

There may be architectural links to Doddington Castle (CHER 235/1) built by Sir John Delves who had been a servant of Lord Audley.

<4> Fradley, M, 2008, Newhall Tower: The Identification of the Medieval Castle and a Nearby Cropmark from Aerial Photographs, p.91-7 (Article in Journal). SCH7279.

An area of earthworks adjacent to the Whitchurch Road at Newhall have been identified as the site of Newhall Manor (see CHER 2116/2). A sub-circular mound enclosed by a rectangular moat was the probable location of the tower and this lay within a larger rectangular enclosure which may have incorporated an ornamental garden. The moat formed part of the mill pond to Newhall Mill (CHER 2116/1). There is placename evidence from the tithe award of a windmill here, but given the size of the mound it is probable that the motte on which the tower was built was reused for the windmill. Further placename evidence, field known as 'the parks' from the same source suggests that there may have been a larger medieval park in the vicinity. The land owner reported that significant quantities of sandstone had been recovered from the site and reused. The author suggests that the hoard on twelfth century coins (CHER 388) found to the east on the site of the modern dairy, if not associated with the mill, and within the manor's enclosure, would suggest that the sites origins date from the thirteenth century and the Malbank family.

<5> Medieval Settlement Research Group, 2009, Field Investigation at Newhall Tower, Newhall, Cheshire, p.59-67 (Article in Journal). SCH6741.

The wide ditch on the western side of the site may be the earliest feature (see CHER 2116/2) and forms part of an enclosure defined on its northern and southern sides by the watercourses. The latter may have been deepened and are clearly artificial channels. The original course of the southern water course may have been identified as an earthwork to the south, but has not been identified to the north. This large rectangular enclosure has been interpreted by the author as a possible Roman fort (see CHER 2116/2). The manor complex is now interpreted as a smaller less complex site that previous suggested in 4. The author suggests that the diversion of the water courses was undertaken to feed the large most in the centre of the site. These diversions need not have been contemporaneous and it is not certain if the mill pond was contemporary or a later addition. The manor comprised a large central tower surrounded on at least three sides by the moat with an entrance to the north. The form of the motte or mound could imply a twelfth century date and is suggestive of a large cylindrical tower or donjon, a form of building evident in the later twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

<6> Various, Various, Oral communication to the HER, Edwards R 07/01/2014 (Oral Communication). SCH2330.

It is probable that this is the site of the manor of Newhall which may have comprised a fortified manor house which incorporated a pele tower similar to that at Doddington. It is probable that the mill and hall are broadly contemporaneous.