Castlefacts³

Perching Manor House

Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House

There are earthwork remains

Name	Perching Manor House
Alternative Names	Portingeres; Perting; Perthyng; Perchyng; Percinges
Historic Country	Sussex
Modern Authority	West Sussex
1974 Authority	West Sussex
Civil Parish	Fulking

About 300 yards west of the village is Perching Manor House. A large farm adjoins the house, which is not very old, but the kitchen fire-place has a chamfered four-centred chimney-beam from an earlier structure. The medieval manor-house or castle of Perching stood some 300 yards west of the existing farm-house, and its site is marked by a large square mound, with traces of a moat faintly visible. The castle stood in the middle of the large field adjoining the road, which is diverted on its way from Fulking to avoid the southeast angle of the moat. The hedge on the north side of the field is similarly diverted, and marks the northern limit of the site. The two diversions show the eastern limit of the moat, which cannot otherwise be detected. The western moat, however, has not been completely filled in, and may be clearly seen as a wide shallow depression crossing the field. In dry weather the view of the site from Edburton Hill gives a perfect impression of its formation, the moats themselves being of a darker green than the surrounding field, and the upcast which formed the ramparts turning the grass to brown. There are indications of there having been a counterscarp bank to the western moat. No masonry now remains above ground, but ruins are said to have been visible within the memory of a generation ago. (VCH Vol. 7)

The site lies upon the E slopes of a ridge and is under the plough. The mound described above cannot now be recognised but the W arm of a moat, which, by reason of the slope of the ground must have been dry, runs from TQ 24061140 to TQ 24071154 and is over 26.0m in width and less than 1.0m in depth, having been much reduced and spread by the plough (Field Investigators Comments–F1 ASP 13-JUN-72). (PastScape)

Gatehouse Comments

The repeated licences to crenellate for this relatively modest moated manor house are of interest but probably represent court intrigue and politics rather than building intent although the building work probably started in 1264 could certainly have continued on to 1268 and some refurbishment in 1329 is entirely possible.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

399350

County Historic Environment Record

www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWS893&resourceID=1032

OS Map Grid Reference	TQ241115
Latitude	50.8896598815918
Longitude	-0.236389994621277
Eastings	524100
Northings	111570