Monument record 19/4/0 - Ince Manor

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

Grade I remains of Manor House of Abbey of St Werburgh, including Old Hall and Monastery Cottages. Two rectangular blocks in roughly worked coursed sandstone forming two sides of courtyard (north and east). At least 5 phases of masonry, late C13th onwards.
See individual records for further detail (CHER 19/4/1, Hall; CHER 19/4/2, Monastic Cottages). Other parts of the grange complex are also recorded as Grade II Listed Buildings including two sections of boundary wall (CHER 19/4/3), Park Cottages (CHER 19/4/6) and a farm building/barn abutting the hall to the south-east (CHER 19/4/7) .

<1> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, Scheduled monument: Ince Manor monastic grange and fishpond - 1009635 (Web Site). SCH6528.

Ince Manor monastic grange is one of only two examples in Cheshire of standing manorial buildings belonging to an abbey, and is one of only five similarly surviving monuments in the north of England. The medieval buildings remain in a good state of preservation and there are only three other similar sites in the country displaying more complex structures. Monastery Cottages is one of the best preserved examples of manorial lodgings in England, while the Hall possesses the rare and unusual feature of an entrance defended against attack. The monument is known to have belonged to St Werburgh's Abbey during the early medieval period and evidence of pre-Conquest features will survive within, below and near the Hall and Monastery Cottages. Similarly, further evidence of other post-Conquest structures associated with the grange will also survive.

<2> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Vol.II, p.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 he 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). The buildings once occupied by the monks (Monastic Cottages) are now used as a farmhouse, and the larger building (Hall) converted to a barn.

<3> 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.

<4> 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.

<5> 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.

<6> Davey P & Williams R, 1975, Ince Manor, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, Vol 3, p.24-26 (Article in Journal). SCH7546.

Ince Manor grange is significant as a Benedictine grange with a surviving complex of buildings comprising the Hall or Manor (CHER 14/9/1) and monastic cottages (CHER 14/9/2). A survey undertaken in 1975 observed that the hall and domestic range (monastic cottages) were substantially complete and clearly contained elements from a number of periods dating from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth centuries. Evidence for a third building/range on the western side of the complex was identified (see CHER 14/9/9), comprising lengths of foundation walls incorporated into later garden boundaries. Also a possible connection to the third range from the monastic cottages was visible at the top of the stairs of the cottages. A former cobbled walkway in front of the cottages connecting to the western range could have represented one side of a cloistered garth.

Other evidence for the wider grange includes Park Cottages (CHER 14/9/6) to the south which incorporate medieval stonework and may have been a former barn; also the lower courses of two stone walls, one to the south of the manor and the other to the south-east, likely representing the remains of the estate wall (CHER 14/9/3). The remains of a possible filled-in ditch visible to the south-west of the monastic cottages, also a potential rock cut ditch to the north-east, could represent the remains of a moat (CHER 14/9/4). Remains of potential fishponds (CHER 14/9/5) are visible in the field to the north of the manor, along with a substantial lynchet (CHER 14/9/10) which could form the western boundary of the grange, linked to Marsh Lane by an overgrown track which could have formed the northern boundary.

<7> 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.

<8> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, Vol 5, 1977, p.55-6, P.Booth Letter (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 5) 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.

<9> Longley D, 1977-1978, Longley Archive, Record Card No. 419 (Paper Archive). SCH2005.

<10> 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. 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 including the Cholmondeley estate, the Waring family, Robert Peel and Edward Yates, the Cornwall Legh family and Griffith estates.

The site of the manor occupies a plot of circa half and acre, although surviving banks, ditches and boundary walls suggest it extended further. The hall stands on the edge of a rock-cut ditch which runs along its east side and continues southward, underlying Marsh Lane. Part of the rock cut ditch was exposed and cleared out during the construction of a house. It was circa 9 feet deep, 21 feet wide at the top and backfilled with layers of stone and rubble. 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. The Monastic Cottages are believed to originally have been a range of lodgings with four chambers, later converted to two cottages. It exists as a two storey building with cellars and unroofed. Largely of one build, probably mid-fourteenth century, and possibly on the site of an earlier building.

<11> 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 proposed repair and renovation. 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. (see CHER 19/4/1-2 for further detail)

<12> 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.

<13> 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 was carried out in 2000 in advance of the restoration of Ince Manor. 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. Geophysical survey was also undertaken as part of the archaeological investigations. It located a number of high resistance anomalies that may relate to remains of foundations of structures. The survey was not so successful in the location of the buildings due to the large amount of magnetic disturbance over the majority of the survey area which masked more subtle anomalies.

<14> National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, 2001, An Archaeological Excavation at Ince Manor and Monastery Cottages, Ince, Cheshire., R2395 (Client Report). SCH4225.

Further archaeological excavation was undertaken at the manor 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.

<15> 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 north-west corner of the cottages also required rebuilding as it was in such poor repair, each stone was removed, recorded and rebuilt. Oak trusses salvaged from site were pieced together to form the new roof structure to the cottages, this was also covered in Welsh slate. Floors and doors were reinstated in oak. The Victorian barn adjoining the hall was also overhauled.

<16> 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.

<17> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, Vol 15, p.136-8, EB, 1909 (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.

<18> 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.

<19> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 25/03/1983; 27/09/1994 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

A monastic grange was a farm owned and run by a monastic community to provide food and raw materials for the parent monastic house. The first monastic granges appeared in the 12th century, pioneered by the Cistercian order, but then copied by the other orders. They continued in use until the Dissolution.

Ince Manor monastic grange is one of only two examples in Cheshire of standing manorial buildings belonging to an abbey, and one of five examples in the north of England. The medieval buildings are in a good state of preservation and there are only three other sites in the country with more complex structures. Monastery cottages is one of the best preserved examples of manorial lodgings in England, while the Hall possesses the rare and unusual features of an entrance defended against attack. Evidence of pre-Conquest features may survive within, below and near the buildings. Similarly, there may be the remains of other structures relating to the grange.

The scheduled area of the grange site was enlarged in 1983 to include area of the potential moat and, then again in 1994, to include area to the north of monastery cottages.

<20> Cheshire County Council, 23/10/1998, Letter regarding 19th century drawing of Ince Manor, 1835, Print (Written Communication). SCH7521.

Privately owned print of Ince Hall dating to 1835 showing the east-facing elevation and part of the adjoining nineteenth century barn.