Melton Mowbray

In the civil parish of Melton Mowbray.
In the historic county of Leicestershire (Modern Authority of Leicestershire, 1974 county of Leicestershire).

Possible site for the manor house of the Mowbray's (Molbrai), which, considering the status of the family (Earls of Northumberland), may well have been fortified, has been identified at 5 King Street. Surveys of 5 King Street show it to be part of an early medieval open-halled house. Alterations to number 16 Church Street revealed a medieval circular stone wall subjected to considerable heat. This is probably the `Manor Oven' mentioned in C13 documents. It may be part of the castle or fortified Manor of the Mowbrays, which existed in C14. King Richard and King John visited the town and may have stayed at an earlier castle. Personally I feel it is likely that Melton Mowbray, as an important pre-Conquest town and manor of the powerful Molbrai's probably did have an early castle but this would have been near the church and was probably superceeded by the C14 manor house. The few vague historical references to a castle at Melton have been used support the identification of 'The Mount' (qv) as a castle. In my view the manor houe was probably sited beside the church in what later became the Swan Inn. The Old Courthouse, Church Lane shows the continuation of this site as a court site. This would not include King Street, which is the other side of the market place and the remains here are presumably not of the manor house

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

listed building

Images of England

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK753192

PastScape number; 520824

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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Melton Mowbray

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK753192

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