Double moat and fishpond, Queenbury

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.

Queenbury moat is a well-preserved double enclosure moat with a diversity of features. It is one of an unusual concentration of six recorded moats in the village of Reed.

Details

The Queenbury moat is a double island moated site situated on the eastern side of Reed village. The site consists of a large moated enclosure, in the south-east quadrant of which is a smaller moated enclosure, and an associated fishpond. The north-east corner of the larger moat is built over and believed to be heavily disturbed and is not included in the scheduling. The small enclosure measures c.85m north-south by c.80m east-west. The moat arms are approximately 10m wide and 3m deep and there is evidence of spoil mounds on either side of the western arm of the inner moat. The northern arm, the only part of the double enclosure which remains waterlogged, is partly infilled. The outer moated enclosure is approximately 120m square. The remains of the southern and most of the eastern arm are visible, the rest has been infilled and there is a house and outbuildings now lying across the projected line of the northern arm. The outer enclosure has both inner and outer banks up to a height of 0.5m on the south and east sides. To the north-east of the moat is an irregular shaped fishpond which connects with the moat. It measures c.60m maximum east-west by c.17m maximum north-south. Excluded from the scheduling are the driveway, the house, the tennis courts and the outbuildings on the southern arm of the inner moat but the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

20603

Legacy System:

RSM

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