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 and associated ponds, gullies and earthworks 150m south east
of Cranmore Farm survive well and will contain archaeological and
environmental evidence relating to the monument and the landscape in which it
was constructed. The monument is one of only a few such sites recorded in the
Cotswold Hills.
Details
The monument includes a moated site, associated earthworks, gullies and ponds
situated on a gentle south-facing slope, 150m south east of Cranmore Farm, in
an area of the Cotswold Hills.
The moated site, which is known as Cranmore Farm Camp, is a sub-rectangular
enclosure with maximum dimensions of 47m from north to south by 56m from east
to west. The interior has an uneven appearance and contains three raised
terraces or platforms in the south and west which range from 15m to 25m in
length and which are aligned along the outer edges of the enclosure. Within
the northern area there is a depression, which is `L' shaped in plan, with
dimensions of 25m from east to west and 30m from north to south. This feature
is likely to represent a later quarry or prospecting pit.
The enclosure is defined by an outer bank 4m-5m wide and c.0.45m-0.6m in
height. The bank was originally surrounded by a moat, although this has since
become largely infilled. The southern arm of the moat remains visible as a low
earthwork 10m-15m wide and c.0.5m deep. There are faint traces of the
remaining arms of the moat, demonstrating that these survive as buried
features up to 15m wide.
The only entrance to the enclosure is situated on the central-eastern side of
the southern bank, where there is also a corresponding causeway over the
adjacent arm of the moat. It is likely that this represents an original
entrance.
The moated site is surrounded by other earthworks. To the north there is a
broad raised terrace with dimensions of 70m from north to south and 80m from
east to west. On the eastern side the terrace is marked by a low ridge running
parallel to the modern field boundary. This is likely to mark the course of an
earlier field boundary. On the western side of the terrace there is a bank 13m
wide and c.0.45m high, orientated north-south, running for approximately 75m.
This feature links the north western corner of the moated site with the group
of ponds to the north.
There are three ponds; all are waterfilled and vary in size from 12m by 5m to
30m by 8m. The ponds are likely to have provided water from a natural spring
to the moated site by means of channels or gullies which are now infilled.
Amorphous earthworks which are situated 70m north of the moated site are
likely to have resulted from the deposition of upcast from the nearby ponds
during dredging operations.
Additional earthworks situated 25m south east of the moated site are likely to
represent further ponds or waterbeds.
Surface finds from the site include 12th and 13th-century pottery and a stone
roofing tile which suggest that the moated site may have been occupied by a
domestic residence or farmstead.
The fence posts relating to the field boundaries are excluded from the
scheduling, although the ground beneath is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
