Monument record 1242/1 - Norbury Booths Hall moated site, fishponds and connecting channels

<1> Ormerod, G., 1882, The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester, Ormerod G 1882 1/496-497 (Book). SCH1389.

Moated Site of Norbury Booths Hall. The ancient Hall of Norbury Booth was of timber and quadrangular in shape. From C14 to the end of C17, the manor descended through Legh of Booths Family. This hall was replaced by the new Booths Hall, but to the north-west in 1745.

<2> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, 1011668 (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

The monument at Norbury Booths Hall comprises an elongated D-shaped homestead moated site surrounded by a waterlogged moat linked to an extensive system of fishponds and connecting channels. The monument includes a raised grass-covered island c.100m x 65m used for pasture. A small excavation in 1973 revealed some five worked stone blocks. The island is surrounded by a waterlogged moat varying in width from 6-10m. Access to the island is by a bridge of timber sleepers across the N arm of the moat. An outer bank c.6-8m wide x 0.3m high exists along the E and SE sides of the moat. A short dry inlet/outlet channel runs from the SW corner of the moat into a drain that flows NE to empty into Spring Wood Lake. A silted rectangular fishpond with an outlet channel connecting with the drain to Spring Wood Lake lies close to the SW corner of the moated site. A series of five fishponds, four silted, one waterlogged, lie in woodland some 120m SW of the moated site and are linked with the drain to Spring Wood Lake by a waterlogged channel. Norbury Booths Hall was a timber construction and quadrangular in shape. From the 14th century to the end of the 17th century the manor descended through the family of Legh of Booth. This hall was replaced by a new Booths Hall built c.210m to the W in 1745. However, buildings are known to have occupied the moated site within living memory and a small excavation in the 1970s found substantial structural remains of 14th century and Tudor buildings.

<3> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 2/20-22 Parkinson H 1974 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

Site trenched in 1973 by Mrs H Parkinson. A stone chamber was connected by a large stone - lined and roofed culvert to the moat. It was probably contemporary with the Tudor building and was used as a cess-pit in C17. A structure behind the chamber, probably altered in late Tudor times, abuts on earlier stone foundations probably of early C14 date. Rubble filled foundation trenches were revealed containing 17th century glassware and a coin of William III. A cellar with a rough stone floor 3m deep was found filled with rubble.

<4> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 5/39 Wilson D 1977 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

A further excavation was carried out by David Wilson in 1975. A number of structural features were exposed. The finds are mainly of C16-18 date.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ77NE3 1982 (Index). SCH2487.

A clay mould representing a human face and probably intended as a pattern for some architectural ornament has been found in the moat.

<6> Society of Antiquaries, 1849-1920, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries, 2/82 1850 (Book). SCH2738.

<7> Taylor F (ed), 1950, Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, 32/No.2 (Book). SCH499.

<8> L-P Archaeology, 2020, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Booths Park, Knutsford, R4409 (Client Report). SCH8845.

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken in 2019 in the northeastern carpark of Booths Park in Knutsford, Cheshire, prior to the development of the site which lies immediately to the east of the Norbury Booths Hall moated site. The evaluation included the excavation of eight trenches to identify and characterise any potential below ground remains. Archaeological features of Post Medieval date, thought to be field boundaries, were identified, along with drainage channels and a small brick structure, likely associated with either Booths Hall farm or the late 19th century kitchen gardens of New Booths Hall. The development of some of these features can be traced through the historic maps from 1847 onwards.