Ince Manor
Encyclopedia
Ince Manor or Ince Grange is a former monastic grange in the village of Ince
in Cheshire
, England. The remains of the manor house, consisting of the old hall, and the monastery cottages have been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and a scheduled monument. It is one of only two surviving monastic manorial
buildings in Cheshire, the other being Saighton Grange Gatehouse.
and was recorded in the Domesday Book
. In 1277 Edward I
was entertained at the manor. In 1399 and again in 1410 a licence to crenellate was obtained. Following the dissolution of the monasteries
the manor remained in church ownership until 1547 when it passed to Sir Richard Cotton, and from his son George, to Sir Hugh Cholmondeley
. It then passed to the Vale Royal
branch of the Cholmondeleys until 1724, when it was sold by Charles Cholmondeley to Sir George Wynne of Leeswood
. From his heiress, Margaret, the manor passed into the Waring family. The range of domestic buildings dates probably from the late 13th or 14th century and the hall from the early 15th century. The engraving dating from the early 18th century by the topographical draughtsmen and engraver-printsellers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck
(pictured) shows the cottages to be a ruin. Ormerod described the surviving buildings in the 19th century which were standing in grounds of "rather more than an acre" with a stone wall to the south and the remains of a moat
on the other sides. The former domestic buildings were in use as a farmhouse and the old hall was being used as a barn.
, who passed them to the Preservation Trust. Restoration began in 2002, with funding mainly from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The buildings are now back in private ownership.
which are listed Grade II.
Ince
Ince is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated immediately to the east of the Stanlow Oil Refinery. It shares Ince and Elton railway station with the village of Elton, which it runs into...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. The remains of the manor house, consisting of the old hall, and the monastery cottages have been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and a scheduled monument. It is one of only two surviving monastic manorial
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
buildings in Cheshire, the other being Saighton Grange Gatehouse.
History
Ince Manor is one of the earliest recorded properties of St Werburgh's Abbey, ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and was recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. In 1277 Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
was entertained at the manor. In 1399 and again in 1410 a licence to crenellate was obtained. Following the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
the manor remained in church ownership until 1547 when it passed to Sir Richard Cotton, and from his son George, to Sir Hugh Cholmondeley
Hugh Cholmondeley
Hugh Cholmondeley may refer to:* Hugh Cholmondeley * Hugh Cholmondeley, 1st Earl of Cholmondeley* Hugh Cholmondeley, 2nd Baron Delamere* Hugh Cholmondeley, 3rd Baron Delamere* Hugh Cholmondeley Dean of Chester 1806-1815...
. It then passed to the Vale Royal
Vale Royal
Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.-Creation:...
branch of the Cholmondeleys until 1724, when it was sold by Charles Cholmondeley to Sir George Wynne of Leeswood
Leeswood
Leeswood is a small village and community in Flintshire, North Wales, about four miles from the historic market town of Mold. At the 2001 Census, the population was 2,143....
. From his heiress, Margaret, the manor passed into the Waring family. The range of domestic buildings dates probably from the late 13th or 14th century and the hall from the early 15th century. The engraving dating from the early 18th century by the topographical draughtsmen and engraver-printsellers Samuel and Nathaniel Buck
Samuel and Nathaniel Buck
Samuel and Nathaniel Buck were brothers who lived in England in the 18th century and were engravers and printmakers. Samuel did much work on his own but, when the brothers worked together, they were usually known as the Buck Brothers. More is known about Samuel than about Nathaniel.Samuel Buck...
(pictured) shows the cottages to be a ruin. Ormerod described the surviving buildings in the 19th century which were standing in grounds of "rather more than an acre" with a stone wall to the south and the remains of a moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
on the other sides. The former domestic buildings were in use as a farmhouse and the old hall was being used as a barn.
Restoration
When the site was visited by the Chester Historic Buildings Preservation Trust in the early 1990s, the hall was protected by a 19th-century roof. The domestic buildings had been in use as cottages until the 1960s but were then without roofs. English Heritage advised that it would be proper to restore the buildings and a feasibility study showed that restoration would be possible. The buildings were bought from the owner by Cheshire County CouncilCheshire County Council
Cheshire County Council was a County Council, of the second highest level of United Kingdom Government for the residents of Cheshire. Founded in 1889, it ceased to exist on 1 April 2009, when it and the district councils in Cheshire were replaced by two unitary authorities; Cheshire West and...
, who passed them to the Preservation Trust. Restoration began in 2002, with funding mainly from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The buildings are now back in private ownership.
Stocks
Adjacent to the manor are a pair of vertical stones embedded in the ground with grooves for timber stocksStocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
which are listed Grade II.