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Donington le Heath Manor

In the civil parish of Coalville. In the historic county of Leicestershire (Modern Authority of Leicestershire, 1974 county of Leicestershire).

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
  Confidence: It is doubtful that this site was a medieval fortification or palace.   Major remains.
House, c.1280, altered C17, restored 1966-71, of Charnwood granite rubble with ashlar dressings, C20 timber-framed gables and Swithland slate roofs. Massive rubble stack to rear (truncated). Main hall block of 2 storeys lies E-W with wings projecting N at each end to form a half-H plan, and a further wing of slightly later date extends from the NE angle. S wall contains original 1st floor entrance to hall, holes for staircase still visible. Shallow angle buttresses (except at SE corner and in N wing). C13 cusped lancets, restored. S, N and E walls largely rebuilt during restoration. Ground floor fireplace C17, dates from conversion of undercroft to kitchen, when the height of the ceiling was also raised. 1st floor hall has C17 fireplace (fragment of stone wall bracket only remains of C13 fire- place). 3 C17 roof trusses, one closed and 2 open. Hall separated from wings by timber-framed partitions. Part of original plaster infilling survives by doorway to E wing. C17 mullioned windows of 3 and 4 lights with hood bands above, inserted in S and E walls. Window at W end of hall is single large lancet. Surrounded by an enclosure bank and possible moat surviving as an earthwork. Medieval barn, altered C20 seen as roofed building. CastleUK web site describe this as a fortified manor but no other sources do so. However, staff report to me that air photo shows possible moat and finds of roof slates may indicate the position of a gate house; I am doubtful that this site was of high enough status to have been consider fortified. Williams calls this a fortified manor house in a group not 'requiring' a licence to crenellate i.e. low status and weakly fortified.
This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 187880)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SK42021266

Air Photo from multimap logo

Air Photo and general mapping

1st edition OS Map from old maps logo

Mid to late 19th century maps

Modern Map from Ordnance Survey logo

Landscape form and features

Modern Map from streetmap logo

General location and route planning

Geograph British Isles geography.org.uk logo
occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 920571
Further information may be available from the holder of the county Historic Environment Record. In particular 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website, or elsewhere.

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.
The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
It is an offence to disturb a Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of everyone's heritage to remove archaeological evidence from any site without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation.
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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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This record last updated on Thursday, December 17, 2009

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