Dunholme Bishop's Manor

Description

The ancient manor house of the Bishop of Lincoln is located at Grange Close (an area immediately south of the junction between Beck Lane and Ashing Lane). Kirkstead Abbey maintained a grange or farm on land in the vicinty of Grange Close. Little is know of the Bishop's Manor, save that it was demolished prior to a survey in 1647. Locating the Bishop's Manor has also been problematic, though it is known to have existed southeast of the village core, within a field still known today as Grange Close. Remains lying in Grange Close were poorly recorded on early aerial photographs, before being levelled in 1948. Fieldwalking across the area located a stone building complex. Records also show that a wall of a 'medieval manor house' was exposed in a garden in 1970, although the site of this wall was not accurately provenanced. During trial trenching in 1999, a layer of demolition rubble, an east to west aligned stone wall and an east to west aligned drainage ditch were recorded. The wall was thought to be part of the Bishop's Manor house or a related structure, The finds of late 12th and 13th century roof tile and pottery suggests a 12th or 13th century date for the construction of the Bishop's Manor. During trial trenching in 1999 the remains of a substantial stone wall were uncovered in Trench 7 at the eastern end of the site. This wall was probably either part of the Bishop's Manor House itself or a building associated with the Manor. Pottery and roof tile from the topsoil and subsoil deposits showed that the structure was in use during the 13th century. Further trial trenching in 2000 recorded several quarry pits for sand extraction in Trench 1, which may be related to the construction/maintenance of the Bishop's Manor. A pit recorded in Trench 4 contained 13th century pottery and green glaze roof tile, as well as limestone rubble and a lump of lead.The assemblage suggests the pit was backfilled with debris from a medieval structure: certainly of high status, possibly the Bishop's Manor or Grange that was located to the east. An archaeological watching brief on land off Scothern Lane, Dunholme recorded a number of medieval and post-medieval features. At the extreme east of the site, a limestone wall and several rubble-filled pits are likely to relate to the Bishop's Manor, known from this area. (Lincolnshire HER)

Comments

This close to Lincoln it may be questioned how residential this manor was since the luxurious accommodation of the Lincoln bishop's palace was readily available. However it may also have been useful to have a nearby retreat, which allow the bishop ready access to Lincoln but was sufficiently far from cathedral clerics and lawyers to allow some peace. However nearby Nettleham seems to have been the bishops major residence for this function and Dunholme may never have been a residential manor but just a demense manor with a house for a steward, but seemingly of a quality that reflected the status of the wealthy and powerful bishop of Lincoln.