NHER 8918 (Monument record) - Moated site of Old Hall, Wodehouse Tower

Site of; (second Kimberley Hall) about 1400.
Large rectangular moat, deep and wide ditches, not waterfilled but very boggy.
South end island overgrown, medieval brick wall around inner edge on south, southeast and southwest, paralleled by walls of a building with brick jambs of door. There was supposed to be a keep and chapel; whole was demolished in 1659, but a corner tower remained until early 20th century. North end island under hard tennis courts. Causeway to north modern? Some earthworks outside to north, others to southwest, but on southeast extensive and large, with two rectangular embanked areas, banks about 1.5m high, between moat and The Clump; many humps and bumps, some of great size; hollow ways run southeast and northaest for a considerable distance.
E. Rose (NAU), 7 December 1978.

Only moated area is scheduled.
E. Rose (NAU).

Ancient Monuments description, (S1).

Dr. R. Wilson (CEAS) says not all demolished 1659, some still standing about 1750 when dismantled and used to extend present hall (NHER 8919).
E. Rose (NAU), 29 May 1987.

1996. Surface find at TG 0784 0416 within earthwork.
Late medieval/early post medieval bung hole sherd.
W. Milligan (NCM), 21 October 1996.

1998. Earthwork Survey.
Earthwork survey of moated site and surrounding earthworks (including part of NHER 30466). Remains of water garden of hall, of extreme importance.
See report (S2) for plan and further details. This site was included in (S3) and the survey is also noted in (S4).
B. Cushion (NLA), 21 April 1998. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 4 March 2014.


April 2002. Building Survey.
Survey undertaken by NAU of Wodehouse Tower.
See report (S5) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S6).
J. Allen (NLA), 30 May 2002.

March 2003.
Scheduled area revised.
See scheduling document for full details.
Information from (S18) and (1S9)
M. Horlock (NLA), 26 August 2003.

May 2005.
Old tennis court hard surface still remaining. Possible removal with a geophysical survey to follow. English Heritage to be contacted.
H. Paterson (A&E), 6 September 2005.

Wodehouse Tower was built in the late 16th century on the site of the medieval manor house of the Wodehouse family. The moated hall was built around a courtyard and had polygonal towers and decorative terracotta panels, and the foundations of part of the hall are still upstanding. Elizabeth I was entertained at the hall in 1578, and the hall was demolished in the mid 17th century. The moated site is surrounded by the complex earthworks of a late medieval to early post medieval garden. These earthworks include a series of small rectangular compartments that were probably part of a formal garden, with walks and garden buildings. There is also the remains of a large formal water garden, with several ponds surrounded by terraced walks. This is a rare and important survival of a late medieval high-status garden, which has survived because of the lack of later development on the site.
See (S1) to (S6) for more details.
S. Spooner (NLA), 18 April 2006.

April 2007.
Section 17 management agreement signed 4 April 2007.
See (S7).
D. Robertson (NLA), 17 April 2007.

September 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The vast majority of the complex earthworks that are visible on aerial photographs (S8)-(S17) have not been mapped as the site has already been extensively recorded by earthwork survey (S2). A single additional element, a large ditch, has been added at the north-east end of site, centred on TG 0801 0426, and the Monument polygon has been amended accordingly.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 27 September 2012.