The 'Castle' moated site, 500m ESE of Hawkesbourne 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 moated site 500m ESE of Hawkesbourne Farm survives well with the interior of the island largely undisturbed by later activity. The large internal earthen banks are an unusual feature for a moated site in south-east England. The monument contains archaeological remains and environmental evidence relating to the economy of the site and the landscape in which it was constructed.

Details

The monument includes a rectangular moated site situated adjacent to Channells Brook on a gentle south-facing slope. The site has a rectangular island measuring 72m north-south by 48m east-west with an internal earthwork bank on all four sides. The bank is c.1.5m high and c.7m wide around most of the island, with an entrance in the eastern end of the south side. In the south-eastern corner the bank survives to a height of 2.2m. The moat surrounding the island is now dry but was originally waterfilled. It was fed via a leat which ran into the north-western corner of the moat from a stream to the west and then out in the south-western corner. The ditch, although having become partially infilled over the years, measures up to 10m wide and 2m deep.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

20035

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
The Victoria History of the County, (1905), 477

Other
Ordnance Survey, TQ 13 SE 3, (1971)

End of official list entry

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