– an insight into our local history
If you cross the road from the Marbles Way Shops in Preston towards Preston Lane, you will see a sign providing information about The Lost Manor House of Preston Hawe.

This marks the location of a medieval manor house dating back to the 12th and 13th Centuries. The development comprised a gatehouse, stables, a manor house, a communal hall and kitchen for the Lord of the Manor’s retainers and an enclosure for cattle. This was surrounded by a bank and moat. Outside the enclosure was a chapel and burial ground.

We know this because an archaeological dig was carried out in the early 1950’s by the archaeologist Brian Hope-Taylor to investigate the site prior to the housing development that is now Preston.
This was early in his career, and he went on to lead major digs at Lindisfarne and Bambrough Castle in the North as well as presenting two series of archaeological TV programme in the 1960’s. Possibly because of his moving on to “better things,” he never got round to fully publishing his findings about Preston Hawe.
This means we don’t have a full picture of the site, but he was able to map out the extent of the community which is shown below.

To compare the site location to the modern day the map below shows the main buildings’ locations superimposed over the current geography of the area.

It is estimated that the site was established during the 12th century and flourished well into the 13th century but was then deserted by the early 14th century. It probably achieved its wealth from cattle trading which were held in enclosures on the site before being driven to market in Croydon.
The excavation uncovered a skeleton with a pewter chalice suggesting it was the body of a priest. It is thought that the chapel may have dated back to before the manor house. The name Preston is derived from the Olde English words “prēost” meaning ‘priest’ and “tūn” meaning ‘settlement” thus Priest Town. The suffix “Hawe” appears to relate to an enclosure.


To give readers an example of what this medieval settlement might have looked like here is a photograph from a reconstruction built on the site of Mountfitchet Castle near Stanstead in Essex.

This is apparently the only reconstruction in the world of this type of medieval settlement.
The earliest documented reference to Preston Hawe dates back to 1316-17 when it was in the manor was in the possession of John de Chetwode although a Ralph de Chetwode is recorded as living in the area a century earlier.
Because Brian Hope-Taylor never fully reported his findings from the 1950’s dig, we only have a partial understanding of the Preston Hawe settlement. In 2008 a local group of volunteers, assisted by the Surrey County Archaeological Unit, started to piece together the 1950s archive to try to make sense of it. A further dig was also organised in 2011 which involved local people and school children in a dig following the traces of the earlier 1950’s dig that were still accessible.

Some of the findings are on display at The Tadworth Leisure Centre but sadly there has still not been a formal report from this latest dig. We understand that The Surrey History Centre may shortly be publishing a report by Rob Poulton, who heads up Surrey’s County Archaeological Unit. If and when it is published, we will report further.