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 a rectangular moated site 100m north of Grayland Farm an
situated in a low lying area 500m north-east of Boldrings Brook, a tributary
of the river Arun. The site is aligned NNW-SSE with maximum external
dimensions of 70m by 65m. All four arms of the moat are water-filled, the
ditch being between 5m and 10m wide and enclosing an area 50m square. Along
the outside of the west arm of the moat is a retaining bank, c.8m wide and
0.8m high, which supports the down slope side of the ditch.
No indication of buildings survive on the island although brick foundations
were visible until recently on the western side. These are likely to be
associated with the re-use of the monument as a landscape feature, adapted as
part of the grounds of Graylands, probably in the mid-19th century when the
island was planted with exotic species of trees and shrubs. A bridge was also
constructed in this period, the brick foundations of which are situated on
either side of the northern part of the east arm of the moat.
The fencing which surrounds the monument is excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath it is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
20005
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
