Remains Of Chapel At Manor House Farm

THORPE IN BALNE THORPE LANE SE 51 SE (north side)

4/125 Remains of chapel 5.6.68 at Manor House Farm (formerly listed as 'Manor House Farm now cattle shed') II* Remains of chapel. C12 with C13, C14/C15 and C19 alterations. Magnesian limestone rubble, C19 pantile roof. Consists of a 2-bay chancel of which the north wall, truncated east wall and half of south wall remain. North side: chamfered plinth, large quoins. Refaced buttress on right (probably the rebuilt north-east corner of nave); C12 north doorway has lintel with arched soffit and plain tympanum beneath semicircular hoodmould; broad C13 pointed window with hoodmould on left is partly bricked-up and has no tracery. Chamfered eaves band and hipped roof (in poor condition at time of resurvey). East end has a blind Perpendicular window flanked by outer jambs and parts of heads of C12 windows, arch of central window cut by eaves band. South side: original section of wall to east has a complete C12 window and offset in wall above. West side: semi-octagonal north respond of infilled chancel arch survives having chamfered plinth and mutilated moulded capital. Interior: a string course, chamfered below and above, runs round east end; below it on south wall a C13 trefoil-headed piscina with projecting sill, on east wall a rebated aumbry recess. East window, of 3 lights, retains fragment of panel tracery; the inner arches of the C12 east windows have damaged roll-moulded arrises; similar roll-moulding around the complete C12 window on south wall and the pointed north window. C19 roof of pattern- book trusses. Site of nave south wall clearly visible within cattle shed to west; the shed has some ashlar piers which may be re-used material. Probably founded in mid C12 when William Vavasor gave Thorpe in Balne to Otto de Tilli, the gift being later confirmed by Henry de Laci. In 1452 the chapel was the scene of the forcible abduction of Joan, wife of Charles Nowel, by Edward Lancaster of Skipton in Craven. Hunter lpp 218-219) relates the details of this incident, which resulted in the passing of an Act of Parliament for the redress of grievance and the better protection of females. The loss of the south chapel is unrecorded but the nave was described by John Hunter (c.1830). John Hunter, South Yorkshire: The History and Topography of the Deanery of Doncaster, 1831. P. F. Ryder, notes and survey drawings in South Yorkshire County Ancient Monuments and Sites Record, Sheffield, primary index No 492. P. F. Ryder, Medieval Buildings of Yorkshire, 1982, pp79-80.

Listing NGR: SE5990511084