Monument record TYN 008 - Grimston Hall; Trimley Park

Grimston Hall. Remnants of moat to E, bank in small wood to S - probably connected. Occupied. APs show roads to W at TM 268 364 (S1)(R1). Domesday Will of Grimestuna (S2) and site of the manor of Grimston (S3). Seat of the Cavendish family from mid C14 to the end of C16. Thomas Cavendish, the last of the family, was the second English circumnavigaor of the world, 1586-8 (S3-S5). He died at sea 1592 and the estate acquired by John Barker of Ipswich, created a Baronet in 1621. Grimston was the seat of the Barkers until the death of Sir Jeremy Barker, 3rd Bt in 1665. His brother moved to Ipswich and family later moved to Chantry, Sproughton, though still owned Grimston. George Nassau who inherited Grimston from the Barkers `for some time resided here'; he died in 1823 (S6). Present house listed Grade II and described as early C18 with possibly an earlier core, timber-framed. Described by D E Davy as `a good modern Farm House' in 1829 (S7). Pond by house may be part of a moat or merely a pond - Copinger described ponds `which fall in a regular series down the valley' (S3). Presumably the bank in the wood is the dam of a pond. Two ilexes, said to have been planted by Thomas Cavendish are mentioned in 1764 (S4). By 1829 only one seems to have been left, and that was partly dead (S3)(S7).
Park of Grimston Hall mentioned 1764, presumbably on the Alston side (S4). Davy mentions the view from Park Hill `once part of the Park' (S7). Grimston Hall & Park mapped by Emanuel Bowen in 1753 (S8).
Reference in 1673 to `Sir John Barker of Trimpley-Park' (S9).
Some of the possible remains of Medieval ponds or a moat are visible as earthworks, centred on TM 26943664, to the north-east of Grimston Hall, on aerial photographs taken from the 1940s onwards. Photographs taken in 1948 show that the current pond to the east of the house was potential much larger, possibly extending 20m to the north, and photographs taken in 1946 show another hollow further to the north, centred on TM 2695367, which appears to be about 70m in length and of an irregular rectangular shape. These may be related to the Medieval earthworks described above. See TYN 090 for the probable Post Medieval garden features. (S1) (S2)