Site record MDR4831 - Site of Manor House and Possible Moated Site, Wakebridge Farm, off Leashaw, Crich
Type and Period (8)
- MANORIAL CHAPEL (Medieval to Tudor - 1349 AD? to 1539 AD?)
- MANOR HOUSE (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
- MOAT ? (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
- BARN (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
- STABLE (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
- GRANARY (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
- PIGSTY (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
- DOVECOTE (Medieval to Georgian - 1066 AD? to 1772 AD?)
Protected Status/Designation
- World Heritage Site Buffer Zone
Full Description
Site of manor house and possible moated site, Wakebridge Farm, off Leashaw, Crich, a medieval complex.
Sir William de Wakebridge built a chapel at his manor house sometime after 1349, when he lost most of his family to the Great Plague, and before 1368. He adorned it in a most costly manner and furnished it with a chaplain. An inventory of the goods of the chapel was made in 1368. On the purchase of this estate by Peter Nightingale in 1771, the fine old mansion was pulled down. The chapel, which was a detached building, but had long been desecrated for farm purposes, did not then share the fate of the hall. A writer in the year 1818 says "The east window still remains in the end of a barn, at the back of the house, which is the only discernible indication of the chapel". Some thirty years ago [i.e. c. 1849] the remains of this chapel were still further modernised, and the window taken out and removed to the grounds of Mr Nightingale's residence at Lea. That portion of the large barn which now stands on the site of the chapel has no trace of antiquity or any ecclesiastical feature about it. The extensive foundations of the old manor house can be traced under the sward behind the present farm-house. In the kitchen of the house is an old oak door, handsomely panelled with the linen-fold pattern. This is apparently the only relic of the departed grandeur of Wakebridge. (1)
Wakebridge is a hamlet and separate manor about one mile north-north-west of Crich. It belonged at an early period to a family who took their name from the place and were allied by marriage with the Fitzralphs, lords of Crich. Sir William de Wakeburge built a chapel at his mansion house at Wakebridge in the mid-14th century and garnished it with an "orgayne and other costly devises". The foundation stones of this chapel may be seen in the bull croft of the present farm-house and the door of the cheese room, a beautiful piece of oak work and of undoubted antiquity, probably once belonged to it. (2)
The only material of interest (some probable 14th century fabric) is confined to the interior of the present farmhouse. (3)
The chapel at Wakebridge belonged to the mother church of Crich. An extent of the manor of Wakebridge, made there on June 28 1350, records that 'there are in the same place one hall with two wardrobe-chambers, one kitchen, two barns, one byre, one stable, one granary, two sheepfolds, one pigsty, one chapel, one dovecot, and they are worth two marks clear'. (4)
Once an important manor house of the Wakebridge family, notable for having arms which breach the "rules" of tincture, and for having been entirely wiped out by the Black Death. Their heiress married one of the Poles, which branch later removed to Spinkhill Hall. The house was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Poles, but the truncated remains were reduced and altered rather drastically to make a small farm, by Peter Nightingale in 1772, shortly after he had bought it. Lysons reported the remains of a chapel. Nightingale's descendants held it into the present century, although it was tenanted as a farm from the 18th century, having lain empty earlier. It is now an ashlar two-storey house with three bays and a surviving four-centred arched entrance. Inside there is some unexpectedly fine linenfold panelling. Still occupied as a farm. (5)
Sources/Archives (6)
- --- SDR24641 Unpublished document: Thouki, A (ARS Ltd). 2019. Archaeological Works, Wakebridge Farm, Wakebridge, Matlock.
- <1> SDR11672 Bibliographic reference: Cox, J C. 1879. Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire, Vol IV. 43, 65-6.
- <2> SDR3507 Bibliographic reference: Bulmer, T and Co.. 1895. History, Topography and Directory of Derbyshire.
- <3> SDR6322 Personal Observation: F1 FRH 22-JUL-66.
- <4> SDR19405 Bibliographic reference: Saltman, A (ed.). 1976. The Cartulary of the Wakebridge Chantries at Crich. Derbyshire Archaeology Society Record Series.. Vol. 6 for 1971. 24-25.
- <5> SDR18913 Bibliographic reference: Craven, M & Stanley, M. 1984. The Derbyshire Country House, Vol II.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 3379 5572 (69m by 73m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CRICH, AMBER VALLEY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR5091
- EDR4796
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Aug 20 2020 2:21PM