Two moated sites at Brockhurst

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 monument at Brockhurst survives well and is an unusual example in Staffordshire of a pair of moated sites situated in close proximity to each other. Evidence of the buildings that originally occupied the moated islands will survive and organic material will be preserved within the waterlogged sections of the northern moat which will be of value in understanding the historic environment and economy of the site.

Details

The monument is situated at Brockhurst, near Blymhill and includes two moated sites in two separate areas. The northernmost site is situated at Upper Brockhurst Farm and includes the island and its moat. The moated island measures 40m north-south and 26m west-east and is slightly raised. An area of pebblestones has been found on the platform in the past. The eastern half of the moat is waterfilled and up to 15m wide. The western arm and the north-western and south-western corners are now dry and part of the northern arm of the moat has been infilled but will survive as a buried feature. The northern arm projects approximately 8m eastwards beyond the edge of the moated site. There is also a slight projection at the south-eastern corner of the moat. Approximately 50m to the south is a second moated site at Brockhurst Cottages. The western moat arm has been infilled and is overlain by the road. The remaining three arms of the moat, the northern, eastern and southern arms, are visible and are up to 17m wide. They have been partially infilled. The rectangular moated island measures 45m west-east and approximately 40m north-south and is partly occupied by four modern houses. The two moated sites are considered to be part of the same contemporary complex and are likely to have been related in construction and function. At one time the manor at Brockhurst included a gatehouse with solar, moat and bridge, a dwelling-house, bakehouse, granary, cattle-sheds and other buildings. Excluded from the scheduling are the surface of the driveway on the northern edge of the monument, the telegraph pole on the northern moated island, the driveway surfaces at Brockhurst Cottages, the cottages themselves which occupy the southern moated island and all fence posts but the ground beneath all these features 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:

21522

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
The Victoria History of the County of Staffordshire, (1958), 64 & 67
Hammer, M E, Staffordshire Archaeology in The Moated Sites of Staffordshire, Vol. 3, (1974), 33

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry