Fleet Motte

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte)

There are cropmark/slight earthwork remains

NameFleet Motte
Alternative Names
Historic CountryLincolnshire
Modern AuthorityLincolnshire
1974 AuthorityLincolnshire
Civil ParishFleet

The site was excavated in 1913 but no report made. Pottery in the museum of the Spalding Gentlemen's Society, from this excavation, included two sherds classified by Hawks as 1.A. 'A'. These probably came from the old land surface. The rest of the pottery examined by G C Dunning was dated from 11th or 12th century to 18th century AD. The evidence of the pottery and former existence of a mound is suggestive of a motte or castle mound. The mound and a possible outer ditch show as soil marks on A.P's (Thompson).

Area under crop. Lincoln and Spalding museums have no record of material from this site. Detail of mound cancelled on A.M. (F1 FC 08-JUL-65).

TF 385232 Medieval and supposed Roman pottery among finds from the 1913 excavations (as described by Thompson). Now only a wide raised area marks the site of the medieval manor. This may have incorporated IA pottery but the possibility of a Saxon date cannot be entirely excluded (Hallam).

H Healey viewed the pottery in 1972: Middle Saxon and Saxo-Norman types included. See also TF 32 SE 18 (Majoram).

TF 385232. Probable motte (King). (PastScape)

Site excavated in 1913, no report. Pottery in museum of Spalding Gents Society from excavation, including two sherds unclassified by Hawks as IA 'a' probably came from old land surface. Rest of pottery examined by G Dunning dated 11th to 18th century. Evidence of pottery and former existence of mound is suggestive of motte. The mound and a possible outer ditch show as soilmarks on AP's. (Thompson).

Area under crop. Lincoln and Spalding Museum say they have no material from this site. Site marked on old map as 'tumulus'. Considerable mound evidently but no moat mentioned. Excavated Sept 1912

Account of excavation in Spalding Gents Society minute book, 1913.

H Hallam considers it a site of original manor of de Moulton family.

Sherds of pottery from the site mentioned in the Spalding Gents Soc noted by S J Hallam. these noted as possible Iron Age, Saxon, and as late 15th century. seen by H Healey in 1972: include Shelly, Stamford, Torksey- Thetford type, and Bourne a cooking pot. one rare Stamford stamp.

(examination of site jan 1973,1975,1976. Slight mound exists though most levelled 1947, when much animal bone seen. Dark ashy soil on highest part with animal bone. much pottery including middle Saxon Shelly, Ipswich, Thetford types, Stamford and one grass-tempered sherd. medieval, post medieval and later pottery increasing N towards the church. more work was carried out in 1979-80. (Lincolnshire HER)

Gatehouse Comments

In this part of Lincolnshire it may well have been this mound would have been destroyed by agricultural anyway although it would have been better had the excavation been better published. The site may well be that of a manor house at the other end of the village of Fleet from the church. The finds of Saxon pottery suggest this was a pre-Conquest manorial site although the date of this mound, if it was a motte, rather than a natural mound used as a dry building platform, is not known.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTF385231
Latitude52.7877807617188
Longitude0.0532299987971783
Eastings538560
Northings323110
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Osborne, Mike, 2010, Defending Lincolnshire: A Military History from Conquest to Cold War (The History Press) p. 32
  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles of the East Midlands (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 48
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 260
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 189
  • Hallam, S.J., 1970, 'Settlement around the Wash' in P. Salway et al (eds), The Fenland in Roman Times: ‪studies of a major area of peasant colonization with a Gazetteer covering all known sites and finds‬ (Royal Geographical Society) p. 315

Journals

  • Marjoram, J., 1960, Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society reports and papers Vol. 8 p. 41-3
  • Thompson, F.H., 1955-6, 'Archaeological notes for 1954' Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society reports and papers Vol. 6 p. 11-12
  • Thompson, F.H., 1953-4, Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society reports and papers Vol. 5

Other

  • Creighton, O.H., 1998, Castles and Landscapes: An Archaeological Survey of Yorkshire and the East Midlands (PhD Thesis University of Leicester) p. 431 online copy