Monument record 762/2/1 - Marton Grange

In 1539 the Abbey lands were confiscated by Henry VIII & granted to Thos Holcroft, who sold them to the Mainwaring family, who built the Tudor manor house (1). This was a half-timbered residence, with a domestic chapel attached & was surrounded by a moat (see RN:762/1/2) (2). Illustration shows the house from the NE. Entrance front of 5 bays, with 4 gables. End 2 gables project forward. Central bay with door is recessed with a gabled window in the upper storey. Small framing to gables with ornate timber framing between windows & to gables. Ground plan shows house with central hall flanked by 2 pantries, a kitchen on the right and the oldchapel on the left. Behind the kitchen are the salting house, cellar, bake house, & oven and behind the chapel are the dining room & a sitting room. House is fronted by a rectangular courtyard (3). Excns 1971- Tudor brickwork still in place, in some of the foundations. Lines of walls marked by robber trenches. Filled with brick & rubble, wall plaster, glass frags & lead cawmes. Area of cobbling over medieval ditches may have been a forecourt to the manor house. Also 2 15th or 16th C cess pits. SW area produced a small hearth of reused stones, all architectural fragments, possibly from Vale Royal Abbey. Hall probably built with stones from abbey buildings at Vale Royal. Most of brick & stone sills on which the timber rested was robbed when the house was demolished in 1848 (1). Marton Grange - an early 17th century mansion of wood and plaster, demolished in 1848 (3).

<1> County Historic Environment Record, 1973-1985, Cheshire Archaeological Bulletin, 2/26-29 Curzon J B 1974 (Journal/Periodical). SCH565.

<2> White, F, 1860, Whites History, Directory & Gazetteer of Cheshire, /309 White F & Co 1860 (Book). SCH1452.

<3> Douglas J, 1872-5, The Abbey Square Sketch Book, 1/no.3 1872 (Book). SCH3014.

<4> Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 1883 -, Transactions of the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, 25/153 Hamson W 1907 (Journal/Periodical). SCH3293.

<5> Post Medieval Archaeology, Moorhouse S 1971 5/206-207 (Journal/Periodical). SCH2670.

<6> The Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1957-Present, Medieval Archaeology, Curzon J B 1971 15/161 (Journal/Periodical). SCH2131.

<7> The Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1957-Present, Medieval Archaeology, Curzon J B 1972 16/193 (Journal/Periodical). SCH2131.

<8> The Society for Medieval Archaeology, 1957-Present, Medieval Archaeology, Curzon J B 1974 18/209 (Journal/Periodical). SCH2131.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ66NW2/1964 (Index). SCH2487.

<10> Chester Courant, 1878-1990, The Cheshire Sheaf, 17/3 Bennett J H E 1920 (Newspaper-Magazine). SCH3105.