Moated site 200m south east of St Mary's Church

Reasons for Designation

Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England. They consist of wide ditches, often or seasonally water-filled, partly or completely enclosing one or more islands of dry ground on which stood domestic or religious buildings. In some cases the islands were used for horticulture. The majority of moated sites served as prestigious aristocratic and seigniorial residences with the provision of a moat intended as a status symbol rather than a practical military defence. The peak period during which moated sites were built was between about 1250 and 1350 and by far the greatest concentration lies in central and eastern parts of England. However, moated sites were built throughout the medieval period, are widely scattered throughout England and exhibit a high level of diversity in their forms and sizes. They form a significant class of medieval monument and are important for the understanding of the distribution of wealth and status in the countryside. Many examples provide conditions favourable to the survival of organic remains. The moated site to the west of Whaddon, displays the remains of a diversity of features with a high potential for the preservation of significant archaeological and palaeoenvironmental deposits including waterlogged remains. The monument will add considerably to our knowledge and understanding of the social and economic structure of medieval communities both in Whaddon and the wider landscape.

Details

The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of a medieval moated site. The monument is situated approximately 450m west of the village of Whaddon and survives as a series of earthworks defining a pair of raised platforms approximately 0.4m high and two arms of a moat up to 8m wide. There are also strong parch marks along the southern edge of the platform suggesting the survival of buried structural remains. Field investigations following ploughing in 1972, revealed 18th century building materials. It is understood that the monument is the site of the manorial centre of the de Scalers family. Sources: NMR TL34NE29; Mon No 368444; Cambs HER 1242

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

CB 53

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.