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 a moated medieval tile kiln. It includes a central
rectangular island enclosed by a dry moat and remains of an external bank.
The raised island is 30m in length north-south and 40m east-west. It's surface
is uneven and pitted, the result of partial excavations in 1958. The
surrounding moat is 1m deep; the northern arm is 3m wide, the eastern is 10m
wide and both the southern and western arms are 6m wide. An external bank 0.4m
high and 5m wide is visible to the east of the moat.
The site was discovered by G K Beaulah in 1930; excavations were carried out
on the island in 1958 by the British Museum and Cambridge Geophysical
Laboratory. Two clay floors, tile kilns and tiles were recovered from the
site. The workshop first produced floor tiles for the abbey church at Meaux,
which was paved during the abbacy of William de Dryffield (1249-1269). When
the paving work was completed the tile kiln was demolished and a kiln for roof
tiles was built on the site. Following a fire which destroyed that kiln a
second tile kiln was built. This kiln is thought to date to the 1270s or
1280s.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21182
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
