In Search of Leiston's Ancient Pagan Sites, the Procession Rayles and Gallows ~ Test Griff Walks

In Search of Leiston's Ancient Pagan Sites, the Procession Rayles and Gallows

A 7 mile walk following the western parish boundary of Leiston in Suffolk, as described in a document from the middle-ages

This walk attempts to follow the instructions of a perambulation around the western side of the Leiston Parish boundary that was undertaken in the year AD1620. Leiston's history is renowned for its Abbey and the Garret's works, but this walk also discovers the site of a possible ancient pre-Christian shrine or temple, the location of the Leiston gallows and the procession route taken by those attending this gruesome public spectacle.

Leiston to Harrow Lane Walk - Essential Information

Walk Statistics:

Start point: Leiston View in OS Map | View in Google Map
End Point: Harrow Lane View in OS Map | View in Google Map
Total Walk distance: 7 miles
Walk difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Footpaths, country lanes and some roads
Obstacles: There is a short section of the walk along the Leiston/Saxmundham road. Although only a 'B' road, this can be fairly busy and caution should be taken.

Maps:

OS Explorer Map: OS Explorer 212 - Woodbridge & Saxmundham
OS Route Map: Full screen plot of route on an OS map
OSM Route Map: Full screen plot of route on an OpenStreetMap map
Google Route Map: Full screen plot of route on a Google map
GPX file for walk: Downloadable GPX coordinates of walk

Walk Data

Date of Walk: 2014-12-24
Start Time: 10:30
End time: 12:00
Walkers: Griffmonster, Kat
Weather Conditions: Bright and cold
Equipment: none

Walk Notes

After researching the location of Friday Market Heath and Leiston Gibbet from the details of the 1620 Leiston boundary survey which was reproduced in Rev Suckling's 1848 publication 'Histories and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk', it only seemed logical to continue the quest of identifying the old boundary to Leiston. This was originally going to be a simple investigation with a walk to follow the rest of the basic route as closely as possible. This quest soon turned out to be more of a voyage of discovery and hence this walk is specifically around the western side of the boundary. What fired this intrigue and discovery was a publication on the website of The Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History; a seven page paper by Robert Steerwood entitled 'Lost Features of an Ancient Landscape' in which, under a section titled 'A Harrow at Van's Meadow', he had taken the same Leiston 1620 Survey and proposed the area of this part of the survey revealed the location of an ancient shrine and heathen worship.

Prior to reading this paper, the country lanes west of Leiston were nothing more than routes connecting the many small communities of the area, including Harrow Lane which was considered was to be so named as it led to Harrow farm. Not so. Harrow Lane is an ancient track and the word Harrow is derived from the old English 'hearg' meaning a place of heathen worship, possibly a temple or a shrine. So, here, right on Leiston's doorstep, stood some ancient history, and no-one locally appeared to know anything about it.

The area of this Harrow is better known for the WWII Leiston airfield that was constructed here in 1939. The airfield closed in 1955 but there is still plenty of evidence of its former use with runways and distinctive old WWII buildings standing redundant on the landscape. This artefact of history in itself is worth an investigation and study on its own merit. But this will have to wait for another walk. Another day and another time. This specific walk is all about ancient history!

In some respects Mr Steerwoods investigations had completed the research that I wanted to undertake. However, after much reading and re-reading and perusing of old maps, an inescapable conclusion came about; Mr Steerwoods location of the Harrow, plus other landmarks pointed out in the survey, all appeared to be incorrectly placed. A map in his paper set these locations along the present day Buckleswood Road, but following the survey perambulation instructions it seems the location should be at the top end of Harrow Lane. I set out my arguments for this in the feature for this walk. This anomaly of location should not disparage Mr Steerwood's excellent research and I encourage the reader to peruse it along with this article and the old maps that are available online, and then form ones own opinion.

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Leiston Gallows was somewhere on this land

Directions

A simple walk using existing footpaths, lanes and tracks all of which are well defined.

Leave Leiston town centre cross roads south via Haylings Road. Turn right at Victory Road, following the park on the right. The end of the road leads to a footpath through to the church. Walk through the church grounds and out onto Waterloo Avenue. turn left and follow the road out of town. There is a path behind the hedgerow beyond the cemetery and this leads through to Highbury Cottages. Ignore the first footpath on the left beyond the cottages but take the second path. At the road this leads out on, continue straight ahead, leading onto another footapth as the road bends to the left. This emerges onto the main Saxmundham Road. Turn right and walk the road up to the footpath on the right. There are footpath signs but a number of these have been torn down and lie on the ground. Head for the small copse of trees in the centre of the field and follow the eastern side of the copse. At the end, continue onwards, bearing around to the left heading towards the cottages on the far side of the field. This footpath emerges at the ruins of Buxlow Church which sit in the garden to one of the cottage.

Follow the track between the houses down onto the lane. Turn right and follow the lane. This will pass through a double bend then across the railway and meet with Clayhill Road. Continue onwards. The junction with a road on the right is the old Leiston to Kelsale Road. This originally carried straight ahead to the left of the cottage opposite, but the present road has been realigned and another junction further up on the left is the continuation of the old road.

Keep to the road, ignoring both the right and then left turns as mentioned. The road will dip down to pass over a stream and the rise again to meet a cross roads. To the right is the ancient track known as Harrow Lane. Take this back towards Leiston. On the left is the location of the Harrow and the right is the area known as Higbones. Further along one will see old WWII buildings, one completely masked in vegetation, and the old runway. Towards the end of the lane, on the left is a memorial to the airfield and behidn this the Cakes and Ales Camping and caravan site. At the junction go straight ahead keeping Buckles Wood to the right and follow the road as it curves around to the south east. The procession Rayles is thought to have led off from the footpath on the left. Keep to the road. Go past Geater Nurseries and a footpath just beyond will enable access to the fields beyond. Emerge onto the field and on the left, at the far field boudnary is where the gallows are thought to have been located. Return back down the footpath and continue on the road until it meets Abbey Road. turn right and follow the road back into the town.

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West House

Features

Leiston Harrow, the Procession Rayles and Leiston Gallows View in OS Map | View in Google Map

In 1620, at the first court held for the manor of Leiston by the Marquis of Bucks, a survey was taken of the manor by thirty six of the jury. The route of the survey was recorded in the court-rolls of the manor which are reproduced in Rev Alfred Sucklings 1848 publication entitled 'The History and Antiquities of the County of Suffolk, Volume II'. Part of an investigation into the route of this so called perambulation was covered in an article on this website entitled In Search of Leiston Gibbet and, as a continuation of this research, this article attempts to determine to location of the mentioned landmarks of The Harrow at Van's Meadow, The Higbones, Hornes Grove, The Procession Rayles and Hangmans Close which are all mentioned during the course around the western side of Leiston, but whose names have long since disappeared from both maps and local knowledge.

To assist in the location of these landmarks, frequent on-line references are made to OS map of England (1888-1913) which depicts the Leiston boundary which appears to accord with the described route of 1620; the 1803 OS Unions Map and John Carey's map of 1794.

It is also worth noting that a similar investigation was previously conducted by Robert Steerwood in a 2008 publication for the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History entitled Lost Features of an Ancient Landscape. In this paper he discusses the proposition of The Harrow being an ancient site where heathen worship was carried out and which is identified by the name Harrow which is derived from the old English word hearge. This work is referred to throughout this article and Mr Steerwood, obviously has a lot better credentials for undertaking such research than I, a layman to such affairs, has. However, after a lot of consideration, I do believe the conclusions Mr Steerwood has reached regarding the locations of The Harrow at Van's Meadow, Higbones (which he has interpreted as 'highbones') and Hornes Grove, which he places alongside the present day Buckleswood Road, are all incorrect and I shall enlarge upon this as the boundary is followed as per the original 1620 instructions.

Unfortunately the boundary, in the modern day context, crosses the landscape without any definable public right of way or access and therefore a modern day perambulation needs to approximate the route using present day lanes, tracks and footpaths. It is considered that during the 17th century much of the land had yet to be enclosed and was therefore accessible as common land. It is also noticeable that members of the jury who conducted the perambulation were also named as the landowners along which the boundary crossed.

This specific section of the boundary perambulation is taken directly from Rev Sucklings book The History and Antiquities of The County of Suffolk on pages 428 through to 430. The extract for this article concerns the instructions of the route beyond St Andrews Cross, which is thought to have been located at Cold Fair Green (formerly St Andrews Green) and was probably at the point where the modern day Aldringham Road meets the old Leiston to Snape road. Coldfair Green used to be a part of the Leiston parish up until the 1980s, and therefore the 19th century OS map depicts the boundary as such, with Knodishall parish on the northern side and Coldfair Green on the southern side of the boundary. The full extract that this article is concerned with, detailing the route west of present day Leiston, and returning back to the present day road into Leiston from the north, reads as follows:

...and from that cross turning up northward between the copyhold lands called Owen's and Feriby's, and so along cross land and Stable Croft, being the copyhold land of Smith's, including the same, and so along Owen's Grove, excluding the same untill you come to the north corner of Stable Croft, and then throwe Owen's Grove, leaving part thereof on the north and part on the south, untill you come unto the south corner of Devonshire Wood, and so following the same wood, including the same, unto the demean land called Gilbert's pictles, and from that point of Gilbert's pictles turning north after the Temmar, untill you come unto a cornered close called Stonie lands, lying in Knoddishall, excluding the same, and from thence along the way syding Buckhouse pittes, untill you come unto a gate at Long Meadow end, being a meadow of the demean, and from thence turning south-westerly after the east side of the same meadow, untill you come unto the south end thereof, including the same long meadow, and from thence along Cluny Wood, including the same wood, and from thence between the bounds of Knoddishall and the West House, including all the lands of the said West House, unto a way leading from Kelsall to Laiston, being called the More Lane end, and so going along a strype of Mr. Jenney's, including the same, unto Glover's house, and from thence along the green lane leading towards Teberton, being between Kellsall and Laiston, unto Moore Lane end, unto a close of George Chetlebees, and at the end of that close turne up the lane south-east, and so along that lane between Higbones and ground of the demean called the Harrow at Van's Meadow, excluding the said Van's Meadow towards the north, and from thence to east end of Horne's Grove, and from that point going south-east westward Mr. Ginnees ground unto the procession rayles, and from those rayles going northward towards Hangman's Close, along the shanks, unto a cornered close of Robt. Sharpes...

Firstly, we encounter several issues that hinder our progress in following these instructions. Landmarks such as Owen's Grove, Stable Croft, Devonshire Wood and Gilbert's pictles no longer exist and are not depicted even on the oldest of maps of the area. Copyhold tenants are those holding land of a manor by copy of the court-roll and as such they were entitled to fell any timber on their land for construction purposes or for sale to other tenants. There is no clear definition for the word 'pictle'. It could be a corruption of the word 'pightle' which has an alternative form of picle and a meaning of 'A small piece of enclosed land, often by a hedge'. This does make sense in this context. The word Temmar, however, is unknown. The fact that it is capitalised would indicate that it is a name.

On the positive side, the name of Gilbert is recorded in the domesday book (Open domesday website, PASE website, Blything website) where it states that 'In the same vill Gilbert holds 27 acres under Robert Malet which Eadric held as a manor' and Gilberts pictles may be a reference to this land that was once under his holdings. The description of the 'pictles' being 'demean land' implies that, at the time of the survey, it was held by the church.

The late 19th century boundary leaves Coldfair Green and crosses the fields through to a point just north of Knodishall church where it turns northwards. Therefore we could speculate that this is the point of Gilberts pictles with the Temmar being located just before the boundary heads north (TM 42803 62195). This would mean that Owens Grove and Devonshire Wood would be somewhere on the land between Leiston and Knodishall Church. There are small sections of wood on this land, however a lot of these copses are just trees that have grown up around old marl pits. Even so, we could hazard a guess that the long thin wood at map ref TM 43476 61946 could fit the description of Owens Grove if, in the past, it had extended further south. This would mean the boundary passed to the east of the grove and then cut diagonally through the wood. This would place Devonshire Wood to the north on what is now farmland (TM 43204 62161) with Gilberts pictles to the south and extending to Knodishall church (TM 42598 61952).

The survey passage continues ...turning north after the Temmar, untill you come unto a cornered close called Stonie lands, lying in Knoddishall, excluding the same, and from thence along the way syding Buckhouse pittes, untill you come unto a gate at Long Meadow end.... So, from Gilberts pictles we now head north, parallel to the lane to Knodishall church to a point where it meets a present day field boundary. There is a footpath alongside the field (TM 42833 62772) and the boundary turns west and follows this, crossing the Knodishall lane and across to the Saxmundham Road. On the 19th century OS map, there is a 'stone' marked where the route crosses the Knodishall Lane (TM 42680 62788) which could be a possible location for the 'cornered close called 'Stonie Lands'. The reference to Buckhouse Pittes may be the deep sandpit to the north of the boundary at this point, which is shown on OS maps as far back as 1803. The sandpit still exists today (TM 42663 63078) and is found by the side of the Leiston to Saxmundham road where it meets the railway crossing. If this is the same pit, then the name of Buckhouse has clearly fallen out of use. It appears nameless on all maps and even locals don't appear to have a name for it, although I have been told by one resident that he knew it, as a young lad in the 1960's, as Peanose Pit (correct spelling unknown). The fact that it is in close proximity to Buckles Wood (TM 43160 63478) to the north east may suggest that the names of Buckhouse and Buckles may share a common origin but this is purely speculation and conjecture without any evidence to back it up. We also speculate later in the perambulation that Buckles Wood may have once been part of Hornes Grove.

The next part of the survey is once again unclear when comparing it against the present day landscape. It is undoubtedly the land to the west of the present day Saxmundham road. The extract continues ... untill you come unto a gate at Long Meadow end, being a meadow of the demean, and from thence turning south-westerly after the east side of the same meadow, untill you come unto the south end thereof, including the same long meadow, and from thence along Cluny Wood, including the same wood, and from thence between the bounds of Knoddishall and the West House, including all the lands of the said West House, unto a way leading from Kelsall to Laiston...

Once again, little remains of any woodland in this area to establish any specific location with the only discernable woodland being Osier Covert (TM 41820 62915) which is probably only trees that have grown around a marl pit. However there is one vital landmark that determines that we are in the correct location, that of West House (TM 41719 63406). This building is marked on all OS maps back to 1803 and still exists today. According to English Heritage, this is described as a 17th century farmhouse with 18th and 19th century alterations. With this being the case we could speculate that the tiny piece of woodland to the east of this (TM 42003 63243) is what remains of Cluny Wood and Long Meadow must be the area to the east of the wood.

The 19th century boundary does indeed follow the route between the West House and the north west limits of Knodishall parish. The public footpath across this land comes out at the ruins of Buxlow Church (TM 41403 63101). Buxlow church was probably still a going concern in 1620 as the parish was not consolidated into Knodishall until 1722. Maybe we could speculate that the demean lands of Long Meadow was part of the church lands belonging to Buxlow even though they were on the Leiston side of the boundary.

The route now crosses the land until it meets the Leiston Kelsale road. At this point it is worth examining John Carey's map of 1794. One thing that is notable about the present day landscape of the Leiston area is the main route westwards is the Leiston and Saxmundham road, a B road full of twists and turns that is far from a direct route between the two towns. There is neither a direct route using footpaths from Leiston to Saxmundham, the walker needs to head south to Knodishall and then find footpaths across the land from there. John Careys map may offer an explanation to this as this clearly displays that the main route west out of Leiston is to Kelsale rather than Saxmundham, passing through the hamlet of East Green, and meeting with the road to Theberton. Present day, these are no more than country lanes with passing places for traffic but this puts a new light of how we interpret this section of the boundary survey with Kelsale obviously a much more significant settlement during the 17th century.

The survey continues with unto a way leading from Kelsall to Laiston, being called the More Lane end, and so going along a strype of Mr. Jenney's, including the same, unto Glover's house, and from thence along the green lane leading towards Teberton, being between Kellsall and Laiston, unto Moore Lane end, unto a close of George Chetlebees, and at the end of that close turne up the lane south-east, and so along that lane between Higbones and ground of the demean called the Harrow at Van's Meadow, excluding the said Van's Meadow towards the north, and from thence to east end of Home's Grove.

It seems obvious that the boundary at this point is much the same as depicted on the 19th century os map where it crosses the Kelsale to Leiston road (TM 40671 64460), follows a strip of land, and emerges onto the Theberton road opposite what is now the driveway to Orchard Farm (TM 40796 64720) which is a 16th century farmhouse ( see British listed buildings). Maybe we could speculate that this was Glovers house. The route continues along the green lane towards Theberton, which is the present day Theberton road, to Moore lane end. It is interesting to note that in The Chronicles of Theberton, a 1910 publication by Henry Doughty, there is a reference to the old Hall Road previously being known as Moor Lane. If this is the road that passes the hall then it is also the green lane that runs through to join the Leiston Kelsale road. We could speculate that this may have once been moorland.

The route now instructs a turn to the south east at George Chettlebees close. This would be close to the present day Peakhill Cottages (TM 41559 64921). The British Listed Building website states that they 'probably date from the 17th century' which would put them into the right timeframe to be Geroge Chetlebees and just beyond them is the turn to the south east along Harrow Lane. This would then put The Harrow at Van's Meadow on the north side of this ancient track-way (TM 42013 64828) and Higbones to the south (TM 41856 64618) which is in disagreement with Robert Steerwood's conclusions of them being beyond Harrow Lane and on Buckleswood Road. It must be noted that this section of the boundary is no longer in Leiston parish, having been transferred to Theberton in the 20th century. The newer boundary cuts across from Buckhouse Pit to Buckles Wood but this misses out West House which is clearly mentioned in the survey instructions. Therefore the Harrow Lane location appears to fit the landscape, the old 19th century boundary, the survey directions, and as such we will stick with this conclusion.

There are numerous on-line references to the name of Harrow used in the context of a place-name as being derived from the old English word hearg. The website In-depth Germanic language studies describes the word Harrow, derived from hearg, with a meaning of 'hill sanctuary, sacred grove, temple'. Archaeologist David Wilson goes further and states that a hearg would be 'a special type of religious site, one that occupied a prominent position on high land and was a communal place of worship for a specific group of people...'. Applying this to the land alongside Harrow Lane, we do find that it is undoubtedly the highest ground to the west of Leiston with this particular area of Van's Meadow bordered by the 25m contour. Although this area is now agricultural land, it used to be the location of Bush(y) Grove (TM 42919 64442) and Buxlow Forest (TM 42254 64825). To the west is East Green (TM 40601 65061), which many researchers, including Robert Steerwood, have connected to the Roman settlement of Sitomagnus. (See the article A Context For Sitomagus: Romano British Settlement in the Suffolk Mid Coastal Area.) If this is the case, then it could be speculated that a Roman or pre-Christian settlement at East Green may well have used this for religious or sacred purposes. The survey extract also states that the land was '..of the demean' indicating it was part of the church lands. The early Christian church absorbed many pagan sites, customs and traditions into its own culture which adds weight to this being a sacred site. Steerwood goes even further and connects both the names 'Van' from Van's Meadow and Horne from Hornes Grove to Nordic deities on the premise that these would not be local personal names.

So we will continue with the speculation that Harrow Lane cuts through the moorland with Vans Meadow to the North, probably with Buxlow Forest bordering this, and Higbones to the south, and the boundary route continues down to the east end of Hornes Grove.

The location of Hornes Grove is uncertain although a suitable fit would be where Harrow Lane meets Abbey Lane (TM 43212 63662), which provides an easterly point on the land to the west which fits with the perambulation instructions. This is currently an open field on land that was used by Leiston Airfield. There is no indication on old maps of any woodland here but it is interesting to note that the present day Buckles Wood, to the immediate south, is ancient woodland (see Suffolk Heritage Records), so this may have been part of Hornes Grove as it is not mentioned in the survey extract. Buckle is a common local surname and maybe we could speculate that part of Hornes Grove changed name after it was enclosed.

Hodskinsons Map of 1794 also puts Tylers Green to the south of Harrow Lane and this is also not mentioned in the survey. However the Green is mentioned, along with a location map, in the Chronicles of Theberton where it states the name was first recorded in 1669 which is nearly 50 years after the survey. The 1824 enclosure Award Map marks the Green as a triangular area on the corner of the Abbey Road and the track to Theberton Grange which is beyond the boundary. It may have extended further prior to this although specifics are unknown.

Another interesting snippet of information came from local knowledge where, as a boy, one local was warned by his grandfather never to stray beyond the area of Buckles wood and onto the lane to Knodishall with the specific heeding of 'Beware, the horns'. Although no enlargement was ever made on what the horns were, it was enough to prevent a young lad from attempting to find out. Nonetheless this may tie in with the old name of Hornes Grove and its old pagan use from which the folklore may have later derived.

And so, we come to the final part of this extract which states ...and from that point going south-east westward Mr. Ginnees ground unto the procession rayles, and from those rayles going northward towards Hangman's Close, along the shanks, unto a cornered close of Robt. Sharpes.... The 19th century boundary follows the present day Buckleswood Road, and this bends round to the south east with farmland to the immediate east and Buckles Wood (TM 43170 63458) to the west. It is one place where we can definitely say the route heads south east and is west of the farm land and therefore gives a good fit to the instructions.

The next point of interest is the procession rayles. The 19th century boundary crossed the fields to a point behind the present day Geater nurseries (TM 43837 63169) where it turned northwards. This must be the point of Hangmans Close and we can only speculate that the gallows were located here (TM 43907 63354) with the procession rayles being the procession route taken for a hanging. One cannot help but be curious by the fact that the rayles led away from Leiston. Maybe this provided accss to folk from communites such as Knodishall as there are paths that diverge away from where the rayles starts at Buckleswood Road. Certainly Leiston as a town was not the community that exists today, which was primarily built around the Garret Works.

As for the location of the gallows, it is difficult to pinpoint where they would have stood. The field boundaries have changed over the years so but judging by the 19th century boundary, it is probably in the middle of the field behind Geaters nurseries. Standing on the present day footpath that goes alongside the nursery then heads across the fields, at a point where it crosses the first field with a copse of trees in the centre, the gallows would have been about half way between the nursery and a copse to the north, and half way between the footpath and the field boundary to the west of the nurseries.

There appears to be no local folklore attesting to the gallows or any of its the hangings. In fact, there is no local knowledge that Leiston even had gallows although this must have been the case as it was recorded during the reign of Edward I (1239-1307) when the Abbot of Leiston Abbey claimed '...the right of wreck, market, gallows...' Suckling p433.

References

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Buckles Wood on the right as the road head round to south east

Images

Below are a selection of images taken from from the photo album for this walk. Feel free to browse through these or click on any image to view a larger version in the Gallery.

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Maps

Below is the route depicted on the OpenStreetMap, Ordnance Survey Map and Google Map. Links to full page versions are found in the Essential Information

Summary of Document Changes

Last Updated: ... 2015-02-05

1 comments:

Robert said...: An interesting analysis and no doubt enjoyable walk. However, after re-visiting maps and other research material I stand by my hypothesis that the Buckleswood Road and south Harrow lane area is the most likely location for the sites in question. Would be happy to discuss further.
Regards,
Rob Steerwood.; 27 February 2015 at 03:39

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