Knaptoft 'camp' and Hall (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Knaptoft.
In the historic county of Leicestershire.
Modern Authority of Leicestershire.
1974 county of Leicestershire.
Medieval County of Leicestershire.

OS Map Grid Reference: SP62068947
Latitude 52.50011° Longitude -1.08690°

Knaptoft 'camp' and Hall has been described as a Fortified Manor House but is rejected as such.

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

VCH records this site as a 'moated inclosure with stronger defensive works.'

On high ground north-east of Knaptoft House are fragments of early entrenchments which have been broken for the arrangements of mediaeval life. To the south of the hall is a rectangular area moated and embanked, the latter 11ft. on the scarp, the moat being fed by a stream flowing by the north-east. The western bank descends into a large fishpond by a 23ft. scarp. A cist was found here, and from a plan in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1787, the earthworks were then in a far more perfect state. (VCH)

The 'earthworks' are a series of banks and ditches now reduced by ploughing. A number of enclosures formed by these banks and ditches are not shown by the OS and some are not visible on the APs. The features are of relatively weak profile and formed the boundaries of small fields probably destroyed at the time of the enclosure. No evidence of 'early entrenchments' was seen and the surviving remnants are of little or no archaeological significance. (PastScape–Field Investigators Comments-F1 WW 08-JUL-60)

Comments

The PastScape record suggest the VCH has confused this site with the earthwork of the DMV of Knaptoft. There was clearly a high status medieval house at Knaptoft, possibly held by the Knights Hospitallers of St John, as fishponds survive. This was at the site of Knaptoft Hall (SP62698958 - PastScape No. 342136) and there is little, beyond the status of the holders and a reference in Nichols to a circular tower, to suggest it was fortified. It would seem most unlikely the recorded 'camp' was a medieval fortification of any type.

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Heritage List for England Scheduled Monument Number 1008817, Legacy Scheduled Monument Number 17103
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 342093; 342136; 342098.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) MLE1818; MLE1816 (Knaptoft Hall).

Books
- Bennett, J.D., 1971, Vanished houses of Leicestershire
  Cooke, J.G., 1958, The Lost Village of Knaptoft
  Wall, C., 1907, 'Ancient Earthworks' in Page, Wm, (ed), VCH Leicestershire Vol. 1 p. 252, 269, 273 online copy
  Nichols, J., 1807, The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire Vol. 2.1 p. 217-21
Periodical Articles
- 1787 Dec., The Gentleman's Magazine Vol. 62 p. 656-7, 958, 1059-60 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.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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