Mettingham+Castle



The following Survey was made by John Hille for Sir Nicholas Bacon in 1562, prior to his purchase of the manor of Mettingham.

Com. Suff. The viewe and Survey of the manors of Mettingham, Ilkensall, and Shippmedowe in the sayde Countye of Suff. there made by John Hill sv`ante to the righte honorable S`. Nycholas Bacon, Knight, lorde keap of the great Seale the xxth daye of December in the fyfte yeare of the reigne of our sovraigne ladye Elizabeth by ye grace of God of England, ffrannce, and Ireland, Quene defender of ye faythe &c. Anno 1562 as follo th.

That is to saye The descyipcon of the manraoy.-The saide mannor of Mettingham •is scituate in the Northest borders of the Countye of Suff. one mile from Bongaye three miles from Beccles mrket Townes eighte miles from Leystofte and 12 myles from yarmouthe haven Townes in a Countrie plenty full of wood pasture errable lande and meadowe the nature of the soyle very good and holsome to inhabit upon and the said mannors extende into the Townes and pishes of mettingham St. Johns of Ilkensaff St. Margaretts St. Andrewes St. Agnes St. Laurence Bongaye Becles and Elloughe and the woods growing within the sayde mannors are solde at highe prises because ye same maye be conveyed to London by walter for there cometh within one myle and a halfe of the Castell ye Ryver runynge from Becles w°b wyll beare a kele or barge of xxt' tunne. The woods are pte coppes & pte tymber. W°h are for ye moste parte standinge within one myle & a halfe of ye water verie mete to be conveyed to London or to any other parte of the Realme by Water as well for fyre wood as for tymber and are ptelye replenyshed withe ashe which is very muche desired of coopers to make barrells for ye costes of Suff. & Norff. in herringe tyme.

The gatehouse and othey decaied lodgings.-The Scyte of the Castell standyth at the Southest corner of the coffien called Mettingham grene inclosed rounde aboute withe a mote and a fayer stone wall conteyninge in height xxxt' foote and in thickness three foote but decayed in some places. And at thintre into the same standithe a gate house well and stronglye bylded the walles of stone, and above over the gate a fayer Chamber with a chymney nowe decayed by reason of the taking of the leade whiche covered the same where before the leade was taken awaye over the same chamber was a fayer tower where was a goodlye pspecte to view Townes and villages there aboutes and also moste pte of the demeanes of the same mannor were within the view of the same. And the Gatehouse containeth in length xxii1' foote and in bredthe xvij foote but will decaye out of hande if it be not shortleye covered. And adioyninge on the est syde of the said gate house are dyvers lodgings as well above as benethe for the Porter and lodgings for svants whereof remayneth onlye the walles of stone, the tymber and coveringe whereof are utterly decayed.

The Courte.-And within the gate house is a fayer large base courte conteyning in length two hundred fytie eighte foote, and in bredth, one hundred fiftie two foote inclosed on thest North and West withe the Stone wall and on ye South withe ye buyldings and lodgings of the mansyon house.

The Porche and the Chamber above it.-And on the South syde of the Courte ys a fayer Porche ledinge into the hall conteyninge in length xiij foote and in bredth viij foote withe a Chamber over the same wherein is a chymney and a wyndowe openinge into the Courte well glased the walles of stone and covered with leade. The hall.-And within the porch is a fayer large hall withe an open roof covered withe tyle conteyninge in length xlvj foote and in breadth xxx foote wherein is a chymney on the north syde, the Walles of stone with one yle on evy syde covered withe leade conteyninge in length xlvi foote and in breadth vi foote with vii spouts of leade to the same yles and gutters of leade descending from the toppe of the hall into the same spouts the flower of the same hall well paved with bricke.

The 15'lour.-And at the ende of the hall is a verie fayer plour conteyninge in length xxv'' foote and in breadth xviij foote withe a large chymney on the est syde and a fayer baye wyndowe of stone glased openinge at the South ende into a lyttle Court which adioyneth to the mote inclose on the southe syde withe a stone walle betwene the Courte and the mote. And the plour ys verie fayer seled with waynescott carved with knoppes fayer gilte hanginge downe and withe two fayer benches of waynescott and the flower borded with oke. And the armes of the last master of Colledge, rounde about the same parlour fayer gilte. The p'lour chamber.-And over the same parlour is a fayer chamber called the plour chamber conteyning in length xxv foote and in breadth xviii foote with a fayer chimney and but little decayed the wyndowe whereof is well glased and openeth towards the South into the forsaid Courte.

The vestry and ye vestrye chamber.-And adioyning to the .plour on thest syde ys a Chamber somtyme called the vestrie Chamber withe two Chambers above yt adioynge to the vestrie whiche are uncovered and sore decayed and the vestrie adioyninge to the same ys utterly decayed.

The pantrie.-And at the nether ende of the hall on the south syde ys the pantry seled cont in length xviij foote and in breadth xij foote the walles of stone covred with tyle. The buttrie.-And at the nether ende of the hall on the northe syde nere the hall dore is the buttrye seled and paved with stone conteyninge in length xxt' foote and in breadth xviii foote the walles of stone.

The larder.-And adioyninge to the buttrie at the Weste ende is the larder conteyninge in length xij foote and in breadth viij foote the walles of stone. The wine celler.-And next unto that on the Weste Ende is the Wyne celler whiche hath byn used for Wyne but in my opynyon not mete for that purpose, because it is verie little it conteyneth in length x foote and in breadthe viij foote.

The lodginges over the buttrie Pantrie Wyne celler and larder.-And at the hall door is a payer of stayers leading up into an olde decayed Gallery where on the southe syde of the same over the pantrey buttrey larder and wyne celler is a storye Whearein are vij chambers ptlely decayed. Whereof fower have chimneys and two houses of office, and somtyme weare called the Gestes Chambers and s`ved to laye Strangers in And on the southe syde of the same ys a payer of stayers descendinge downe into the little Courte that adioyneth to the mote covered with leade on the toppe conteyninge in length iiij foote di and in breathe iij foote.

The entrie.-And at the nether ende of the hall is a fayer entrie conteyninge in length liij foote and in breadthe x foote.

The Kytchyn, boyling house and theiye necessayie chambers.-And at the nether ende of the entrie is a Chamber withe a Chimney, whiche belkye s'ved for the Clarke of the Kytchyn, and adioyning to that is the Kitchyn whearein ys one raunge, and the Kytchyn conteyneth in length xxx foote, and in breadth xxvi foote and above that ys a little chamber over the boylinge house at the West end, whiche belyke was for lodginges for the cookes. And next the Kytchyn is the boylinge house at the West ende conteyninge in length xxiiij foote and in breadth xij foote wythe a chymney in yt partelye decayed. All whiche sayde houses weare covered withe leade, butt nowe are uncovered wherebye they are greately decayed.

The bakehouse yard.-And at the West end of the Kytchin is the bakehouse yarde conteyninge in lengthe one hundred and eighte foote and in breadth xxxij foote and on the South was the slaughter house and other offices lately pulled down.

The bakehouse, brewhouse, and maltinge house.-And at the Weste end of that is the bakehouse, brewhouse, and maltinge house, but are decayed because theye were covered withe leade, and are now uncovered which is thonly cause of theire decaye and there are neyther leads nor brewinge vessels.

The storehouse.-And on the northe side of the sayd bakehouse-yard ys a house called the store house conteyning in lengthe xxxvj and in breadthe xviij foote, the flower plannched with oke and in it a chamber to laye apples in the roofe covered withe tyle. Cynnyhalle withe a buttrie and one chamber. -One fayer house adioynge to the store house at the North ende conteyninge in length xxij foote and in breadth xviij foote called Cynnye halle with a chymney and the wyndowes well glased withe a lyttle buttrey and one other chamber adjoyinge at the West ende.

The lodgings over Cynny halle and the malte chamb'.-And ov` the same halle and buttrie ys a storye whearein are two chambers whereof one hathe a chymney and a house of office. And adjoining to them at ye West ende is a chamber to laye malte in withe a payer of stayers descending into ye malte house.

The Stable.-The Stable incloseth parte of the northe syde of the Court and adjoyneth to the gate-house verie large conteyninge in length lxxvj foote and in breadth xxvj foote and it fawted x for above it was a fayer rome to laye in haye but is decayed because the coveringe of leade is taken awaye, and the raigne cominge in hathe rotted the plankes and there remayneth nothinge, but the walls of stone and the rafter that beare up the leade are taken awaye and solde.

The olde castell.'-The olde castell inclosed withe a mote by it selfe, from the mansyon house con in length fower score foote, and in breadthe fyft;e foot, but that ys utterlye decayed and dyvers of the walles fallen downe, but there remaineth yet a fayer chymney of freestone standinge withe two great barres of Iron holdinge up parte of it. The Inney oytyayde.-Thinner Ortyarde on the South syde of the Colledge inclosed withe the mote conteyneth in it five roods sett withe dyvers trees of fruite and devided into sondrye partes with quicksett hedges and quicke hedges of boxe where hathe byn manye fayer Arbors and many small gardens and wolde be agayne if it were well kepte and hathe fower little pondes in it called fridaye pondes. Wherein is small store of fyshe or none but they sryed to prsve fishe taken on ye weke dayes tyll fridaye.

The greate Orteyarde.-The greate Orteyarde at the West end of the Colledge thre parte inclosed withe thutter mote and the Sothende withe a pece of grounde called the Bowlinge Alley with a fayre ponde in the northe ende wythe some fyshe in yt but small store which are breames and perche. And it ys verie full and thicke sett withe fruite trees of all kinds for pears apples wardens plumes and such other and it conteyneth one acre and thre roods. The mote.-Within the mote are roche, breame, trenche, and perche, but small store because it is not well keapte, nor looked to, for the fish are sore distroyed with an otter and with some pickerell, which are in the same and hathe not been stored of a great time but hathe been taken very much with bow netts but if it weare scowered and well stored and kept it would be verie good for all kindes of fishe.

Demesne lands.-The scite of the Castle or College of Mettingham, with the houses, offices, ponds, orchards, gardens, and a small park, called the Kitchen park, contains 28 acres 3 roods. Value of an acre, 5s. p. Ann.