Moated site at Wood Hall Farm

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 seigneurial 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 monument at Wood Hall Farm survives particularly well, and represents a good example of a moated site.

Details

The monument includes a single rectangular platform surrounded by a moat. The island measures 34m square and is slightly raised. Stone blocks are present beneath the outer edge of the platform. These are visible where a modern cutting exists at the south-west corner of the island. Two arms of the moat, the south and east sides, are waterfilled and survive up to 12m wide and 3m deep. The north and west arms, now infilled, remain visible as depressions in the ground. There is a slight outer bank on the south arm of the moat which is lined by mature trees. At the south west corner is a small pond measuring 21m by 19m. Although partially infilled, the pond remains waterlogged. It is connected to the moat by a narrow inlet channel 1m wide and 6.5m long. A modern drain has been cut into the north east corner of the pond. The site of Wood Hall formerly belonged to the Deane family, who are recorded as owners during the reign of Edward II. The brick outbuilding on the western edge of the platform, and the surfaces of the paths, at the northern edge of the site and on the platform, are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

21501

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Johnstone, H, The Victoria History of the County of Staffordshire, (1908), 362
Larkham, P J, South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society in Moated Sites in South Staffordshire, Vol. 24, (1983)

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.