Tiptofts (EHER 36934)

Tiptofts is a moated manor house dating to the 13th or 14th century, typical of moated manors found across Essex. The earliest part of the building is the service wing, probably dating to the early to mid 13th century, followed by the hall and solar wing added in the mid to late 13th century. It has an impressive original frame, although the exterior is fairly unremarkable, was originally an aisled hall with small flanking wings. It was rebuilt by Sir John Tiptoft who lived there from 1348 to 1367 and also probably gave his name to the house. The building was altered between the 16th and 19th centuries, and the 16th century saw the addition of the great chimney stack. In around 1910 most of the building except the back was refaced in brick and some hung tile. The moat remains waterfilled although it is unknown where the source of the water is. There is a stream some 300 metres away which may feed the moat from underground. Also associated with the house are a series of fish ponds, some of which are unusually paired. A map of 1746 shows a total of 9 ponds of which there are now 7 still extant and 5 filled. Summary from record 18540: An excavation and watching brief uncovered post medieval pottery and a cobble surface that pre-dates the C17.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 18540 and 36934. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Tiptofts is an isolated moated aisled hall with a hammerbeam central truss and moulded spere posts. It is the manor house of the sub-manor of Tiptofts or Wantons. The southern crosswing is at variance (stylistically) with the rest of the house and it is tree-ring dated to (three timbers) to 1287-1329. Of the rest of the house the halls west spere gives a similar date of 1282-1327. Dendrochronology has failed to resolve the debate over which came first, the hall or the crosswing. The south crosswing has archaic framing and has its collar purlin tenoned into the crownpost (a feature of early crown posts). It also has empty mortices on its north wall for the arcade plates and braces of a smaller aisled hall. It would seem to be earlier than the hall where it not for the fact that the three service doors are central to the present hall and not the smaller one and at the south end of the halls roof where rises above the crosswing, there remain three pairs of rafters from a hipped in-line end. The halls west aisle survives, while seatings in the west collar indicate an extension of indeterminate dimension, to the rear of the cross-wing. During the 17th century, a two-storey extension was added to the front of the east aisle and in 1856 the north wing extended eastwards and the east front and northern crosswing fronted with brick. <1> Tiptofts is a 13th to 14th century moated manor house with considerable 16th to 19th century alterations and additions. It has few external features of much interests but inside there are enough structural remains to form a good idea of its original appearance. The earthquake of 1884 damaged the 19th century additions, but the 13th century oak structure received no injury. Sir John Tiptoft, who lived here from 1348-1367, completely rebuilt the house when he first acquired it. Grade I. <2> - <4> The hall and solar wing were probably built about 1260, while the service wing must be earlier, probably between 1200 and 1250. <5> Tiptofts (formerly listed as Tiptofts Manor House) Remarkable 13th to 14th century timber-framed building with considerable alterations and few external features of much interest but much of the original hall remains and has some fine features. Grade I. <7> This record is to be updated as a result of fieldwork by the Cambridge Office. <8> Tiptofts is a Manor within the Manor of Wimbish; Wimbish was held by Wimbish before 1066 when it was given to Ralph Baynard, a major landowner in Essex. By the 14th century, Wimbish was owned by the Fitzwalters. During the 14th century, Tiptofts (then apparently known as Cymays) was owned by the de Wautons; it appears to have acquired its new name during its short ownership by Sir Tippetoft (or Tibetot), who may also have been responsible for the construction of the Manor House. The Manor passed from the de Wautons to Sir John Mordaunt by marriage. It is said that Tiptofts was a meeting place for the Gunpowder Plot conspirators; Henry, Lord Mordaunt, was implicated in the plot and imprisoned. The property was given to Brasenose College, Oxford by a will dated 3/11/1563 for the maintenance of three scholars. The estate at Tiptofts covered 247 acres in 1611, and by 1746 this had increased to 352 acres. At the centre of the estate was a moated Manor House surrounded by small fields along the edges of which were a number (up to eleven) of fishponds. See archive report and plan at 1:1000 scale. <9> <10> 1969. Field survey. Homestead moat, water-filled and in good condition. Tiptofts, within the enclosed area, is a fine example of a 13th to 14th century Hall with original timbers and crown-post roofs. It has been almost entirely cased in brick in the 19th century and presents a 19th century appearance externally except on the south-west corner where part of the original building is visible. It is still nevertheless a fine example of its type. Published 1:2500 correct. See GP. <11> 1989. Field survey. As described auth 1-6. <12> 1999. Dendrochronological analysis. Dendrochronological analysis by English Heritage of timbers from both the aisled hall and the cross-wing was undertaken. The results indicate both sections are probably late-thirteenth century in date, and may be contemporaneous. <13> 1999. Excavation and Watching brief. The excavation and watching brief at Tiptofts moated site uncovered evidence of medieval (see 161) and post-medieval deposits. A series of test pits (footings) and underpinning trenches in the ground floor rooms (dining room, study and living room) revealed 17th century pottery from the makeup deposits in the study. This suggests a 17th century date for the eastern extension which now forms the study, and for the partial removal of the 14th century east wall to accommodate this enlargement. Test pitting in the dining room and study also uncovered the remnants of stone cobbling below both eastern extensions, which probably represents a yard surface built along the eastern side of the hall. Although no diagnostic evidence to date the surface was recovered, its stratigraphic position with the extensions concludes that it predates their construction, and therefore must have been laid at the latest before the 17th century. Many of the floor timbers were found not to be original but to be re-used timbers laid as part of the 19th century improvements. <15> 2000. Watching brief. A watching brief in 2000 revealed a substantial amount of 19th and 20th century disturbance in the area of the south wall. Of significance was the presence of the dark brown clay layer that had been previously recorded in test-pitting undertaken in the Dining and Living Room. Its presence below the Buttery Wing (believed to be late 13th century) reveals that this construction layer was deposited across the entire moat platform at a contemporary date. <15> See also: <16> - <22>