Gannock Grove moated site and hollow-way

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.

Gannock Grove is a fine example of a single island site. It survives in very good condition and provides conditions for the preservation of wet and dry remains, both within the ditches and the interior of the enclosure. The monument exhibits a number of features including the ponds and the hollow-way, and the significance of the site is further increased by the association with the nearby and contemporary Bush Wood moat.

Details

The monument includes the well-preserved remains of a medieval moated enclosure and its associated ponds and adjacent hollow-way. The moat is partially water filled and has external dimensions of circa 90m north- south by 70m east-west. A break in the north-west corner of the interior bank may be the location of the original entrance. Inside the enclosure are a number of shallow earthworks likely to be the remains of contemporary medieval buildings and associated features. A number of ponds may also be part of the original complex or perhaps later additions to the monument. Adjacent to the moat on the west side is a length of hollow-way, surviving as a distinct linear bank and ditch, which is considered to be directly associated with the medieval moat. The Gannock Grove moat is one of a pair of moats with the other example being in Bush Wood which is located less than 400m to the north-east. The modern trackway is excluded from the scheduling, dividing the monument into two separate areas.

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:

11513

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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