Monument record 0014300000 - FULMER MANOR

FULMER MANOR NOT MENTIONED IN DOMESDAY, BUT IDENTIFIED WITH 6 HIDES 3 VIRGATES IN DATCHET. TERMED FULMER MANOR FOR FIRST TIME IN 1254. SHIFT IN VILLAGE SITE BY C15: OLD MANOR HOUSE: 01:200; NEW MANOR HOUSE: CASS 1539 (B4,B8).


The old parish church of St James (B10) at Fulmer was moved to its present site (SU 9991 8569) in 1610. An entry in the registers, copied out of some earlier document in the 18th century, states that its former situation was "in a moorish ground about half-a-mile North-West distant".

This is a small plateau of gravel in the middle of the marshy valley. On digging the foundations of a bungalow at the north-west corner of this area of one or two acres and during digging for gravel on the north edge of the plateau considerable quantities of human bones were found. Excavations in a small area nearer the centre in 1929 showed that it was thickly strewn with building material and human bones occurred on the outer edges of the site. No dateable objects or mouldings were found (B1).

In 1954 (B11) a 'raised' area in a pasture field immediately west of Low Farm at SU 9938 8624 contained vague undulations suggestive of foundations. A faint scatter of small pieces of tile and clunch was found in molehills immediately west of the Dutch barn. Part of the 'old church' is said (B13) to have been seen whilst digging the foundations at the west end of this barn.

A limited excavation in 1963 (B2) disclosed a flint-cobbled platform, yard or foundation associated with 12th century pottery. The actual church site is still unidentified. Rouse suggests that the church was not isolated but that this was the original site of the village of Fulmer, or at least of the first manor house. (Nothing visible on available Aps RAF 1947) (B2, B10, B11).

Excavations carried out in advance of gravel extraction at SU 9936 8623, revealed a 13th century hall of three bays with flint footings and central pitched tile hearth. Traces of at least three other buildings were noted. The site of the chapel was not discovered, but the site as a whole is clearly that of the old village of Fulmer. Excavated by M E Farley on behalf of Bucks County Museum. (B4).

The site of the Bucks County Museum excavation and much of the surrounding area of Low Farm is now lost to gravel working, and no settlement pattern of the former village is visible in the remaining low lying marsh area. No further information on the church site.
Surveyed at 1:2500 (excavation site). (B12)

Full excavation report on medieval occupation (B4).

NRHE Update 2005 (B14).