Building record 19/4/1 - Ince Manor - Hall

<1> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, 1138810 (Web Site). SCH6528.

Grade I remains of Manor House of Abbey of St Werburgh, including the Old Hall and Monastery Cottages (see CHER 19/4/2). Two rectangular blocks in roughly worked coursed sandstone forming two sides of courtyard. At least 5 phases of masonry, late C13th onwards.
THE HALL: Modern pitched slate to three-quarters of building. W elevation - segmental arched doorway with hood mould; crenel slits. Horizontal coved moulding below segmental arched coving on E elevation and projecting below 2 cove-moulded arches on S elevation. Inserted post-Dissolution rectangular 4 light mullion and transom windows with bossed heads and hood mounds, some converted to doors or blocked. N wall largely rebuilt after late Cl9th fire. INTERIOR: Internal wall passage and stairs with Caernarvon arch coving within west and part of north and east walls. Windows set in splayed recesses with segmental arched heads. Arched doorways, some blocked, to internal passages. Temporary corrugated sheeting north wall to end of roofing.

<2> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Vol 8, p.40 (Report). SCH1934.

<3> Buck N & B, 1727, Print of Ince Manor (Graphic Material). SCH9519.

Print of Ince Manor showing Hall and Monastic Cottages connected by a low wall positioned between the north-west corner of the Hall and east end of the cottages. The cottages are shown with the remains of a row of battlements overgrown with vegetation; the Hall is roofed and intact.

<4> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol 2, p.12-13 (Book). SCH1389.

According to Omerod, Ince manor was the property of the secular canons of St. Werburgh at the time of the Domesday Survey. In 1093, Hugh Lupus gave the manor of Ince to the abbot and monks of the Benedictine order residing in St.Werburgh Abbey along with the other estates of the secular canons. The abbey leger book records an agreement between the monks of Stanlaw and St. Werburgh with respect to the mills and fisheries in Tarvin Water, for the upkeep of roads and bridges. In the 22nd year of Richard II, the abbot of St Werburgh was given licence to enkernel or fortify the manor house at Ince, along with his other manor houses at Sutton and Saighton. After the Dissolution, Ince Manor passed into the hands of Sir Richard Cotton. The manor was sold by George Cotton to Sir Hugh Cholmondeley who owned them until 1724, when they were purchased by Sir George Wynne and thereafter the Warings, Robert Peel and Edmund Yates and the Legh family.

In the early 19th century, Ormerod describes the site of the Manor as containing 'rather more than an acre, and was originally defended by a stone wall and a vast moat, hewn in the solid rock: the external wall remains on the south side, and the moat may be traced on the other sides.' He observes that two sides of the building of the quadrangle remain and appear little changed since the engraving by Buck (1727, source 3). The buildings once occupied by the monks (Monastic Cottages) are now used as a farmhouse, and the larger building (Hall) converted to a barn.

<5> Slater F G, 1919, A Cheshire Parish: Being a Short History of Ince (Book). SCH59.

The three chief manor houses of St Werburgh's Abbey were at Ince, Saighton and Little Sutton. Ince, was the largest of the three. Abbot Simon of Whitchurch entertained Edward I there in August 1277 when he stayed two nights at Ince on his way back from laying a foundation stone at Vale Royal Abbey. Also, in 1278, he stayed one night at Ince during another trip to Vale Royal. In 1323, Edward II stayed at Ince whilst travelling from Liverpool to Halton Castle. In 1399, Henry de Sutton, nineteenth abbot of Chester, obtained a royal licence to 'enkernel' or fortify the three principal manor houses of Ince, Little Sutton and Saighton due to local and national unrest.

Slater describes Ince Manor as 'a highly interesting group of buildings'. The Hall is a 'lofty building of red sandstone patched in the gable ends with brick'. The roof was destroyed by fire in the last century and was replaced by one of slate. The windows are filled with brickwork, not glass. Slater also describes a fortified doorway, with a pointed arch and moulding with three slits or 'crenelles' above the door and on the left and right sides to allow a weapon to be discharged. Two more crenelles exist on the same face of the building, one at each end. Slater also comments on a drawing made by Omerod of the Hall in 1816 which depicts a doorway approached by steps and containing a 'heavily studded wooden door'. He comments that both door and steps have since disappeared but that a similar door exists in the porch of near by Yew Tree Farm (CHER 19/5) and wonders whether it could in fact originate from the manor.

<6> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, E B, 1909, Vol 15, p.136-8 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1595.

A small excavation was undertaken by the Chester Archaeological Society to determine if there was a crypt or subterranean passage under the Hall. No report appears to have been produced.

<7> Platt C, 1969, The Monastic Grange in Medieval England, p.183-245, p.210 (Book). SCH3209.

Lists Ince as one of 16 Benedictine granges in England with surviving buildings and one of only three in the north of England. Buildings at Ince described as being of the fifteenth century.

<8> Davey P & Williams R, 1975, Ince Manor, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, Vol 3, p.24-26 (Article in Journal). SCH7546.

Field investigation undertaken at Ince Manor in 1975 which highlighted the significance of the remains, only three sites in England have more complex structures than those at Ince. The buildings - a hall and domestic range - are described as substantially complete and it is clear that they both are multi-period dating from the late thirteenth century onwards.The Hall is crenellated in a style commensurate with the early 15th century, but its square-headed windows are potentially a century later. The survey also identified further elements of the grange, including the potential of a third range of buildings (CHER 14/9/9), a possible lynchet to the north of the cottages (CHER 14/9/10) that may represent an earlier boundary for the grange, a stone enclosing wall to the south and north (CHER . 14/9/3), traces of the moat (CHER 14/9/4) and a former fishpond (CHER 14/9/5).

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ47NW3 (Index). SCH2487.

OS field investigator site visit, 20/02/1976. Comments include that the Hall is in use as a barn and the Monastery Cottages are roofless and in an advance state of decay. Both are built of squared, red sandstone blocks. The lower half of the hall predates the upper half, which is rebuilt and better preserved, and which includes on the NE side, four large square-headed mullioned and transomed stone windows of prob E 16th century date beneath arches. The windows have been blocked up with brick and gable ends are built of brick with a modern roof over. The domestic range of four dwellings has late or modern inserted windows and doors but also retains several 14th century stone pointed-headed doorways.

<10> Burne, R. V. H., 1962, The Monks of Chester. The History of St Werburgh's Abbey, p.210-11 (Book). SCH3213.

Rental document for Ince dated 1398 listing 28 bond tenants and 3 free tenants holding bovates and fractions of bovates.

<11> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, Vol 5, 1977, p.55-6, P.Booth (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

A theory that Ince appears like a 'manor house' with a collection of buildings similar to those of a secular manorial estate. The rental document of 1398 (see source 10) listing bond tenants and free tenants indicates that the Ince estate was similar to that of lay landlords as opposed to a grange estate, consisting of demesne arable and pasture and run by lay-brothers.

<12> Thompson, P, 1983, Ince Manor: Medieval Monastic Buildings on the Mersey Marshes (Monograph). SCH1474.

Study, including building survey and documentary research for Ince Manor. The manor at Ince is one of the earliest recorded properties of St Werburgh's Abbey which, following the Conquest, became a Benedictine Abbey in 1093. Domesday (1086) records a manor of three hides, arable land for five ploughs and two acres of meadow. St Werburgh's would lease manors such as Ince to secular tenants rather than install monks/lay brothers, accordingly the buildings may resemble a secular manor. By the early thirteenth century, the church and rectory at Ince had been appropriated by the Abbey; Ince Mills, on the edge of the marshes, were also controlled by the Abbey. From the late 14th century, the policy of leasing demesne lands became common, at Ince in 1439/40, most of the land was farmed or leased to John Wilkinson, along with a number of other tenants. By 1538, Ince and Sutton manor had been let out to Richard Cowley under order of Thomas Cromwell. After the Dissolution, both the manor and rectory of Ince were included in properties of St.Werburgh's which made up the endowment of the new Cathedral at Chester, and remained in church control until the death of Henry VIII in 1547. The property then passed to Sir Richard Cotton in recompense for exposing that the Dean of Chester had received revenue from properties no longer in Church hands. The manor has remained in private ownership since then.

The Hall is a rectangular building consisting of a single, open hall measuring circa 15.8m by 6.4m. There is an internal wall passage running along the western side of the building leading to the Minstrels Gallery or solar. A similar set of internal stairs are apparent in the north-east corner of the building. Most of the north wall was rebuilt after a fire in the late nineteenth century. A modern pitched slate roof covers three quarters of the Hall; there is no trace of corbelling or support for the former roof. A nineteenth century brick barn abuts the south side of the Hall. Several phases of medieval and later building were identified.

<13> Department of Archaeology, University of Liverpool, 1994, Ince Manor, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire: Building Survey (DRAFT), R2316, Jennifer Lewis (Client Report). SCH3937.

Historical research and detailed building survey (including photogrammetric record) of Ince Manor hall and monastic cottages in 1994 by Dr Jennifer Lewis, prior to repair and renovation. Lewis supports the theory that Ince operated more as a manorial holding, offering hospitality, rather than a grange estate managed by lay-brothers.

The Hall is trapezoidal in plan and lies with its east wall above the edge of a cut into natural bedrock, the Hall has buttresses at each end of the east wall. The west wall, some 2m wide, contains a passage with staircases running the full length of the building; this passage would have linked the domestic quarters at the south of the building to the first floor level of private apartments at the north. At the north-east corner, there is a second passage and staircase, which is thought to have given access, at first floor level, to another building to the north. Together with the suite of lodgings (Cottages), the Hall was able to accommodate a large number of people, indicating that rather than representing a grange attached to abbatial desmesne, they were a place reserved for hospitality.

In addition to detailed analysis of the standing buildings, the study highlighted evidence for former structures, associated with the Hall and cottages, within the Ince Manor complex. These include the base of a wall running southwards from the cottage annexe; a possible two-storeyed building adjoining the west wall of the cottage stair passage evidenced by a stub wall running from the north-west corner of the cottages in line with a low mastonry wall which runs up to and around the boundary of the adjoining property; at the north-west corner of the cottages a return in the plinth course may be associated with the base of the garderobe; further structures may have existed against the north wall of the cottages; at the south-west corner of the Hall there is evidence for the arrangement of a cross-wall and door associated with the cross-passage and kitchen quarters; additionally, there is little doubt that one or more two-storeyed buildings stood at the north-east corner of the site between the cottages and the north wall of the Hall.

Lewis also draws attention to a series of photographs taken by G.W.Haswell of the Hall after the fire of 1895 which are held by the Bromborough Society (Cheshire Archives and Local Studies). Other photographs taken by Haswell appear in Slater's book of 1919 (source 5).

<14> Donald Insall Associates, 1995, Ince Manor Grange: A Feasibility Study, R4730 (Client Report). SCH7528.

Feasibility study produced for Ince Manor Grange prior to repair and reuse of the buildings.

<15> National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, 2000, An Archaeological Evaluation at Ince Manor and Monastery Cottages, Ince, Cheshire, R2322 (Client Report). SCH3929.

An archaeological evaluation comprising geophysical survey and 19 trial trenches was carried out in 2000 in advance of the restoration of Ince Manor, a group of medieval buildings. Although some evidence was found for the walls of buildings which once stood next to the Hall, little evidence was found for intact archaeological deposits. Some features were found cutting into bedrock, these could be relatively early, but no dating evidence was found. A few fragments of medieval pottery were recovered but these were present in eighteenth century or later deposits. A single piece of Roman pottery was also found.

<16> National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, 2001, An Archaeological Excavation at Ince Manor and Monastery Cottages, Ince, Cheshire., R2395 (Client Report). SCH4225.

Further excavation was undertaken in 2001; it was restricted to two metre strips along the wall of the manor and two test pits. Post-medieval deposits were excavated and medieval pottery was found near the bottom of the test pits.

<17> Nottingham Tree-Ring Dating Laboratory, 2014, Certification of the age of some old oak timbers from Ince Grange, Cheshire, R3880 (Client Report). SCH8035.

Dendrochronological dating was undertaken in 2014 of 2 pieces of oak beam removed from Ince Manor during or prior to restoration works in the 2000s. Two samples were examined - a light oak sample and a dark oak sample. The light oak is likely to have been felled sometime between AD 1612-37 and the dark oak between AD 1535-60. Both samples had the centre ring (ie., the first growth ring the tree put on) and so can define which year they started growing. For the light oak sample this was in 1498 and for the dark oak sample, 1440.

<18> Cheshire Historic Buildings Preservation Trust, Ince Manor Grange (Web Site). SCH9518.

A programme of repair and restoration of the Hall and Monastic Cottages at Ince Manor began in 2002, with funding largely from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The existing sandstone walls were repaired and reinforced with new stone. Lost stone walls were rebuilt, window openings repaired and steel frames inserted with glazing. A new Welsh slate covered roof was built on the Hall replacing the corrugated steel roof. The north gable of the hall had to be rebuilt entirely in new stone, reinstating the intra-mural passageway. The Victorian barn adjoining the hall was also overhauled.

<19> Cheshire County Council, 23/10/1998, Letter regarding 19th century drawing of Ince Manor, Print, 1835 (Written Communication). SCH7521.

A privately owned print of Ince Hall dating to 1835 showing the east-facing elevation of the Hall with a barn abutting it to the south.

<20> Cheshire County Council, 1992-4, Written communication regarding date of windows at Ince Manor (Written Communication). SCH7524.

A comparison of the style of the window openings at Ince Hall to some at the castles of Conwy and Beaumaris. Potentially the windows of the Hall exhibit a combination of features of the windows seen at Conwy/Beaumaris and could, like these, date to the late thirteenth or early fourteenth centuries.

<21> Cheshire County Council, 1920, Copy of Letter to G.W.Haswell regarding Ince Manor, 1920, Letter to G.W.Haswell, 1920, Bromborough Society Collection (Written Communication). SCH7542.

Copy of Letter to G.W.Haswell regarding Ince Manor, 1920. Held by the Bromborough Society Collection, 'Ince Folder'. G.W.Haswell photographed Ince Manor; two of the photographs appear in F.G.Slater's book, 1919, 'A Cheshire Parish: Being a Short History of Ince' (SCH59). Further of Haswell's photographs are held in the Bromsborough Society.