Moated site at Ewhurst Place

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 at Ewhurst Place survives well with large areas apparently undisturbed. It exhibits a high diversity of component features such as the outer moated area and fishponds in addition to the main moat and island.

Details

The monument includes an inner and an outer moat which define a square island and a roughly L-shaped precinct area. The main island, which contains a late 16th century house, measures 35m north-south by 37m east-west and is surrounded by a water-filled moat which measures between 10 and 15m wide. The house in the north-west of the island forms a brick facing to that corner of the island. A brick-faced edge also survives on the south side of the island, the interior of one block of brickwork having been fused by intense heat caused by the burning down of the building which was of a similar age to that still standing. Further brick foundations have been uncovered in other areas of the island indicating a much more extensive arrangement of buildings, particularly during the 16th/17th centuries. Stone foundations adjacent to the present house show the presence of an earlier building on the island, while a pottery fragment from the moat indicates the site being used at least as early as the 14th century. The remains of a brick and stone lined ice pit were also discovered adjacent to the house, as was a well. To the north and east the outer moated area measures 140m east-west by 110m north-south with the surrounding ditch measuring 3m to 6m wide and 0.5m to 1m deep. Various brick foundations have been located within this outer precinct. The area also includes the sites of three fishponds one of which is still visible as a depression in the ground c.0.3m deep and measuring 20m north-south and 6m east-west. Running south from this pond is a shallow depression, 4m wide and 0.1-0.2m deep, representing the remains of a ditch which would have connected the inner moat to the pond, enabling water to flow through the pond and into the outer ditch. Another connecting ditch runs east-west from the north edge of the main moat to the outer moat. This was the main outflow point of the inner moat and water from the main moat was used to keep the outer moat full. The inlet to the main moat is in the south-west corner. The house on the main island is listed Grade II* and a single arched 18th century brick bridge over the moat to the west of the island is listed Grade II. These are excluded from the scheduling as are modern paving, steps and brick walls, the footbridges to the north and south of the island including their foundations, the modern brick surround to the well, the outbuilding to the east of the house, the brick sluice, the garden shed in the outer precinct and the bungalow in the north-east corner of the outer moat. However the ground beneath all of these is included.

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:

20014

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Dr Clout, Medieval Pot Sherd, (1961)
Dr Clout, (1991)

End of official list entry

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