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 includes Hayton Castle moated site and the adjacent fishpond.
The site includes a roughly square platform, measuring approximately 60m on
each side, surrounded on three sides by a 15m wide moat with an average depth
of 1m. The moat no longer survives on the remaining north side where it has
been ploughed away and recut to create a dyke. On the west side of the moat,
divided from it by a 10m wide bank, is a rectangular fishpond measuring c.12m
from east to west by 50m from north to south. Again the north end of this
feature has been truncated by the modern dyke and field boundary. Traces of
grassed-over wall footings can be seen at the south-west corner of the island.
The existence of this wall may account for the name Hayton Castle which
indicates that, in the medieval period, the site was fortified, probably by a
crenellated wall. The site is understood to have belonged to the de Hayton
family.
All the modern fencing, the surface of the farm track along the east side
of the monument and the trail sign and leaflet box at the entrance onto the
platform are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath these
features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23218
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
