Monument record GDD 001 - Gedding Hall

Moat. Large, square, circa 75m x 80m, arms circa 10m wide. E and S arms wet, remainder dry and 2.5m deep. W portion of S arm re-cut in recent times. Drawbridge in S arm. Series of four fish ponds to E, fed by stream to the S, a sluice ditch connects the moat to the ponds. Occupied, C16 gatehouse, brick house restored in 1897. Moat said to have been built first in 1273 for Sir John de Geddynge and was rebuilt in C15 by the Chamberlayne family (R2). Possible traces of earlier enclosure in front of hall. Isolated, circa 130m from parish boundary, 450m from church.

Rectangular moated island has brick revetted sides - long stretches survive on the W and N sides, with a smaller amount visible on the E side. Revetting fairly decayed; header bond. A sudden increase in the height of the walling at the N end of the W side, 8.25m long, may indicate the former presence of a N range (?the original hall). On the S side an Early Tudor brick gatehouse rises sheer from the moat. There is a contemporary brick wing attached to the E side of the gatehouse. The corner tower and the E wing were added in 1897 by Arthur Wakerley (S3). Wakerley also restored the gatehouse, replacing an earlier blocking of the gateway (shown on a print of 1818-33)on the S side with brick infill. He also probably added the window with trefoil-headed lights above the gateway. On the N side he infilled the gate arch with a large window. N side has a lozenge pattern of diaper work using dark headers. Scored lines in the mortar indicate that the wall originally had an overall red wash with painted pointing. The gabled roofs of the two S bays of the gatehouse are shown on the 1818 print, but these sit on infilled brick battlements and are probably not original.

Gedding belonged to the Chamberlain family by the early C15. The family's period of greatest power and wealth was under Sir Robert Chamberlain (circa 1435-1491), a leading Yorkist who fell from grace under Henry VII and was beheaded in 1491. He must be a strong contender to be the builder of the gatehouse and perhaps of the whole moated complex. If so the building must be placed in the 1480's, roughly contemporary with Oxburgh and Shelton Halls in Norfolk, and like them it is likely to have had a courtyard plan. This would fit with the indications 1994already noted of a possible hall range on the N side. Gedding was sold by the Chamberlains in the 1580s and the Hall became a farmhouse (S6). Manor later owned by Buckenham family, but probably not resident.

Typed, unsigned, account of Gedding Hall of circa 1970-1971, mentions possible field boundaries in vicinity and also buildings within moated area shown on map of 1838 (S8).

Excavation in NE corner of moated platform by W Wyman, 1992-5, (see parish file for details). Resistivity survey carried out on the moated platform by Mark Cole of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory 1993 (S9.) In the event, although a number of walls and other features were located, these do not form a complete pattern.

Excavations on the moated platform by Graham Aldous (the owner) in 1927 revealed various walls (S10).

1993: Resistivity survey was undertaken to attempt to locate the remains of any buried ranges of buildings in the area of the moated island now under grass. Although a number of walls and other features were located, these do not forma complete pattern. (S9)

1994: Excavations carried out close to the interior edge of the moat surrounding the gatehouse and surviving Gedding Hall, revealed the bases and footings of substantial walls. These were thought to represent part of the retaining wall around the moat and the only surviving remains of a further range of the hall. Evidence for east range cf early C16th Tudor Hall with later additions (S11).

1995: Further excavation along the eastern edge of the moated platform revealed more structural remains associated with the Tudor Hall and its later alterations. The features were predominantly wall stubs and footings. (S13)

Features visible on Lidar. See associated files.

2003:A 1sq.m trench was excavated in connection with the 'Time Team Big Dig' to investigate the site of a building shown on the tithe map of 1842 close to the S.E. corner of the moat surrounding the Hall. This building (measuring 17 x 6.5m) is presumed to have been a barn and it formed a part of the eastern side of a rectangular forecourt to the south of the moat. The forecourt and its buildings had been removed by the time of the Ordnance Survey 1st-editition map of 1885. The trench was placed over the estimated line of the west wall of the barn, but although some loose brick rubble was encountered, no definite traces of a building were found. It is presumed that the foundations of the building were removed when the area in front of the Hall was landscaped in the 19th century. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2003 (S14).