Monument record DNT 003 - Moat & Listed Buildings. Denston Hall. (MED)

Denston Hall. Original hall was surrounded by a square moat - shown on a C19 copy of an estate map of 1676 (S1), and on a map of 1778 (S2). W arm of moat only shown as surviving on 1:10560 map of 1958; modern 1:10000 map shows the W arm as a dry depression. Illustration of the Hall 1676 (S1 and S3) shows a tall brick gatehouse of late C15 early C16 type in the middle of the east side, attached to a ? timber-framed range fronting the moat. Stretches of crenellated walling linked this range with two small brick turrets at the NW and SW corners.
The gatehouse had been demolished by 1778 but the corner turrets still seem to be shown (S2).
Present hall is an early C18 brick structure, but at the rear of this, along the western edge of the moat is a long brick range of C16 (S4) or Tudor (S5) date. This has brick mullioned windows and arched doorways. At the S end there is a room with a moulded beam and joist ceiling with an embattled frieze and carved spandrels to the arch-braced tie-beams. Also some linenfold panels with heads in roundels. Suggested that this may have been used as a chapel (S4).
Manor acquired by John Broughton (d. 1479) through marriage with the daughter of John Denston. Held by his widow, Anne, until her death, 1481 and then by his brother, Sir Robert Broughton, d.1505 (will as of Denston proved 1507 PCC); Sir Robert succeeded by son, John (d. 1517) and grandson, John (d. 1529)(S6). Widow of John Broughton married 1526 John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford (S7). Glass with Russell arms at the hall (S1).
Also PMed.
November 1999: Monitoring of footing trenches and two bore holes, one 2.4m deep and the other 3m deep, was caried out during construction of an orangery at Deston Hall. Produced one Thetford type ware (9th-12th century), and a possibl medieval moat (S9).
February 2002: Monitoring at Deston Hall during the construction of a footbridge across moat provided limited evidence for a previous bridge on the site of a new one. It was not possible to determine either the date or the nature of the earlier structure (S10).

Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 1999 (S12).