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.
Details
The monument is the moated site at the western end of Hall Garth Park. It
includes a sub-rectangular island enclosed by a dry moat and in part by an
earthen bank. The moat is visible as an earthwork feature on the western,
northern, and eastern sides; on the southern side it has been largely
in-filled.
The island measures 70m long, east-west, and 40m wide, north-south, overall.
The visible arms of the moat are between 15m and 20m wide and up to 2m deep.
The southern arm of the moat has been almost completely in-filled, with only a
short section of the western end visible; the remainder of the arm will
however survive as a buried feature. A gravel path has been laid along the
bottom of the northern arm. The moat is crossed by two causeways; one at the
north-east corner and the other across the eastern arm. Neither is thought to
be an original crossing point. An earthen bank is visible immediately outside
and adjacent to the moat's northern arm, it is 5m wide and up to 1m high. A
bank is also visible immediately within the eastern arm of the moat. It is
0.4m high and 3m wide.
The moat was the site of the rectory of Hornsea's parish church which, during
the Middle Ages, was owned by the Abbey of Saint Mary in York. The church
lies immediately to the south of the moated site. The house which stood on
the island was sold during the reign of James I (1603-1625). This house had
been demolished by 1787, by which time a new vicarage had been built to the
south of the moated site. The site was incorporated into the town's public
park in the nineteenth century, and was later used as a feature in a golf
course, one of the park's facilities.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21202
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
