Moat and fishpond at Strelley, 240m SE of All Saints' 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 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 moat at Strelley is a good example of a medieval manorial moat with an associated fishpond. It has suffered only minimal disturbance since it was abandoned and so the remains of timber buildings and structures will survive throughout the platform. In addition, valuable organic remains will be preserved in the waterfilled fishpond and in the wet areas of the moat.

Details

The monument at Strelley includes a moat and an associated fishpond. A further fishpond appears to have existed to the east, on the site of Nelson Cottage and The Kennels. However, this feature does not survive sufficiently well for it to be included in the scheduling. The moat is roughly square and includes a central platform measuring c.35m x 30m surrounded by a 2m deep ditch varying between 10m and 15m wide. The ditch is crossed by a 10m wide causeway at the north-east corner and its sides are brick-revetted. The stone-revetted fishpond is situated 15m to the east and is c.50m long x 12m wide. The moat is believed either to have functioned as a fishpond, or to have been the site of a medieval manor house of the Strelley family. If the latter, it was superseded very quickly by a later medieval house built near to All Saints' Church and incorporated into present day Strel1ey Hall. The brick and stone revetment of the moat and fishpond appears to date to the post-medieval period and indicates that the abandoned site was later re-used as a water-feature within the park of Strelley Hall. A drain reputedly connects the moat to the fishpond north of the hall and may be related to an outlet visible in the north side of the moat.

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:

23209

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
The Victoria History of the County of Nottinghamshire: Volume I, (1906), 311

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