New Hall moat and fishpond

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 size of the island of New Hall moat and documentary evidence indicate that it was a manorial residence of some importance. As the island has suffered only minimal disturbance in the past, building foundations and other archaeological material will survive extensively. In addition, organic and environmental material will be preserved in the waterlogged ponds.

Details

New Hall moat is situated at New Hall Farm between Overton and Netherton. The monument includes the island and partially filled-in ditch of a large, roughly square moat with an adjacent fishpond. The site is partly overlain by modern farm buildings and cottages but incorporated into the cottage range in the western half of the monument is a semi-derelict outbuilding reported to contain sixteenth and seventeenth century masonry. This would have been associated with an earlier house since demolished. The visible remains of the ditch lie mainly to the east and south-east and measure on average c.10m wide by 3.5m deep. A bank runs along the inside edge. Part of the north arm is also visible, acting as a natural drain for the surrounding area. Most of this section has been filled in, however, and exists as a buried feature beneath the modern farmyard. A pond immediately north of the cottages is another visible remnant of the north arm while a large pond to the east is believed to have been a manorial fishpond. The west arm of the moat formerly lay to the west of the walled garden behind the cottages and, though now filled in, was open till about the middle of this century. The south arm is also now largely filled in but is known to have extended roughly along the line of the south wall of the garden. It is possible that the original bridging point onto the island was across the south arm, where New Hall Lane now enters. The ditch encloses an island measuring c.70m by 60m. This is only partially occupied by modern farm buildings with the remainder of the area surviving as a grass paddock. The site was one of three manorial sites known to have existed in the parish of Sitlington during the Middle Ages and, in the late thirteenth century, was held by Sir Richard Touche. A number of features are excluded from the scheduling. These include all modern buildings, outbuildings, walling and fencing and the surface of the farmyard, lane and paths. The ground beneath these exclusions is, however, 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:

13288

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Le Patourel, H E J, Moated site of Yorkshire, (1973)

Other
Title: Sitlington (Midgley) Tithe Map and Award Source Date: Author: Publisher: Surveyor: No.588 (old antiq. no. 4421559839)

End of official list entry

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