Pewet Hall a Look into the History
Pewet Hall later to become Pewet Farm was on the outskirts of Aylesby just outside Grimsby in Lincolnshire.
This article seeks to find out as much as possible about the old hall, those who lived there and their lives.
Do you know of anything that may help ?
Pewet Hall first came onto my radar during the investigations into the origins of Wybers Wood and later again with Aylesby Mill and now I’d like to find out as much as possible about it and what went on there.
Below you’ll see an old map showing you the exact location
Ordnance Survey Map Dated 1824
Subsequent maps change the listing to Pewet Farm so I suspect it’s fair to begin with the assumption that the Hall was the base of a farm.
As a small aside it’s worth a quick look at the origins of the name.
It comes, of course, from the marshland bird but in old colloquial Lincolnshire language it was a term used to describe poor, damp, boggy or marshy land.
The pronunciation was also something I wondered about. The bird would be pronounced Pee Wit but I found myself referring to the Hall Pu it, rhyming with ‘do it’ if you will - it all felt a little rustic and also wrong somehow.
However . . . a chance find in that fabulous 4 Volume Set of Books Lincolnshire Notes & Queries, published in 1889, quite settled the matter - I was indeed pronouncing it right and there was an old poem to prove it - note the rhyme.
 To come and go, and come again,Returning lie the pewit; And watch’d by silent gentlemen That trifle with the cruet. 
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Now the etymology is out of the way it remains only to find out as much as possible of the building and its history. The key questions are;
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When did it first appear ?
Who lived there and what did they do ?
When did it disappear ?
Does any trace of the old building still remain ?
It is now in the hands of the farming family MF Strawson I believe and is known as Pyewipe Farm which is yet another derivation of the original name.
How far back can we take it and what can we find out ?
Importantly, are there any old images out there ?
If you’ve any opinions, ideas, suggestion or information about the above or immediate vicinity please do leave a comment - many thanks
All the best
Rod
Amiguru said,
March 29, 2010 @ 5:34 pm
Rod,
Frustratingly near and yet so far….. Quotes from John Cordeaux’s Birds of the Humber District(1872):
“Short-Eared Owl…….In 1870 a pair remained all through the summer, in one of the reedy plantations near the Aylesby beck.
Tree Pipit…….thickets bordering the Great Cotes and Aylesby beck.
Carrion and Hooded Crows……..to two small and lonely plantations adjoining the Aylesby beck.
Green Sandpiper…… The beck in this parish……The fish-keeper, who looks after the stream, says that he has yearly observed the old and young about this date; on July 31st, 1868, he saw two old and two young birds together. In the same season a farmer, who occupies land bordering the stream in the adjoining parish of Aylesby, and who is as well acquainted with these birds as I am, told me that he was quite certain they had that year nested in the neighbourhood.
Makes you hold your breath doesn’t it?
Orni-Nev
Rod said,
March 29, 2010 @ 6:36 pm
Neville,
tantalizing and a great find - I walk around the area all the time and would love to see a short-eared owl there now
Best
Rod
Amiguru said,
April 2, 2010 @ 12:00 am
Cid,
Very appropriat,e but I am just wondering if the Blue Footed Booby was ever on the list for the sceptred county as the ‘owd boy’ does like a bit of ‘up top’.
Neville
History Hunter said,
April 19, 2010 @ 9:35 pm
Having seen a map from 1804 it is relatively the same as the partial map you have on here, but one thing i noticed on it was if you follow Laceby Beck to the sea, you will notice the Pewet Inn all on its little ownsome! Must have been for the sailors etc
Amiguru said,
April 19, 2010 @ 11:08 pm
HH,
Another idea I would suggest is that Pewet Inn was put there for His Lordship & friends so that, exhausted by the chase, they could have a quick snifter before following Reynard into Fox Covert which was closeby at that time.
Here is a quote from History of the Brocklesby Hounds for 28 January 1874:
“Turning at Pyewipe, hounds then went over the railway to run a wide ring in the marshes, and to recross the railway at Great Coates village and take on another fox there. This one they also sent into the marshes, and round through Grimsby
Osiers to the confines of Grimsby Town, where the fox was headed and turned towards Bradley Wood. Again they changed, recrossed the Grimsby road, and then ran over Grimsby Field, placing Little Coates on the right as they pressed on past Coates Gorse to the village, where faulty information stopped the chase after a run of just on three hours.”
With much panting,
Neville
Rod said,
April 20, 2010 @ 7:11 am
HH,
that’s a great find - I wonder whether I ought to think about writing up lost inns and the like
Best
Rod
Neville,
cracking - as ever !