Wissington Grange Wood (The Gatehouse Record)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Wiston Grange

In the civil parish of Nayland With Wissington.
In the historic county of Suffolk.
Modern Authority of Suffolk.
1974 county of Suffolk.
Medieval County of Suffolk.

OS Map Grid Reference: TL94863494
Latitude 51.97862° Longitude 0.83597°

Wissington Grange Wood has been described as a Timber Castle although is doubtful that it was such.

There are earthwork remains.

Description

Martin records a possible ringwork, writing "The earthworks in Grange Wodd, Wissington may relate to the estate given by Hugh de Hosdene to Thetford Priory in the late C11" PastScape record this as "Sub rectangular enclosure of date or function visible as a well preserved earthwork. The earthwork consists of a rampart and outer ditch slightly mutilated in places, with two entrances, one on the east side and another on the west. A gap in the south side is probably modern. Extending for 50m to the north east lie a bank and ditch, which appear to be contemporary with the earthwork."

Subrectangular earthwork, internally 94m N-S, 80m E-W. Rampart and outer ditch, ditch destroyed on S side. Entrances E and W, probable gap in S. Location: S end of flat topped E-W ridge. Similar size bank and ditch run 50m NE from the NE corner. Possible moat? Within ancient woodland. (Suffolk HER)

Comments

Although now seemingly isolated this was a manorial centre in an area of rather dispersed settlement. Who was Hugh de Hordene and what was the reason for his granting this manor to Thetford Priory? Gatehouse suspects he was either a local knight who had no heirs and who, therefore is absent from the records or a member of the Horden's of Durham for whom this was a very peripheral manor, too far from the main holding to be worth holding onto. This does not explain why this site should be fortified?

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 384731.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) NYW 013.

Books
- Martin, Edward, 1999 (3edn), 'Medieval Castles' in Dymond, David and Martin, Edward (eds) An Historical Atlas of Suffolk (Lavenham) p. 58-9, 199
  Copinger, W.A., 1905, Manors of Suffolk Vol. 1 p. 252 (tenurial history) online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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