Moated site and fishponds 200m north-west of Up End

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 moated site 200m north-west of Up End survives largely undisturbed and is a good example of its class. The size of the enclosed area and strength of the ditch and bank indicates that it was a site of some wealth and importance. As well as buried archaeological remains, environmental evidence relating to the landscape in which the monument was constructed and the economy of its inhabitants will survive in the waterlogged conditions of the ditch fills and in the lower sediments of the fishponds.

Details

The monument includes a large moated site with internal fishponds situated on a low flat topped hill above ground gently falling to the west. The site is thought to be that of Pateshull Manor. The moated enclosure is rectangular in shape with overall dimensions of 156m north-east to south-west by 130m north-west to south-east. The moat ditch contains shallow standing water throughout its length, averages 16m wide and is in excess of 2m deep. The north-western arm of the moat is flanked along its outer edge by a substantial bank up to 1.9m high on the outer side. This bank continues, although slighter in proportion, around the north-east side of the enclosure where it has an average height of 1.6m. A possibly original causewayed entrance 4m wide crosses the east arm of the moat 34m from its south end; the causeway is at a similar level to the interior platform, which is roughly level in this eastern area with the surrounding natural land surface. A second causewayed entrance is positioned in the south-western corner of the enclosure; this is raised only 0.4m above the level of the moat and is probably not original. The interior platform is generally flat, although with surface irregularities which are considered to indicate the survival of structural foundations. The northern quarter of the moated enclosure contains a series of small ponds interpreted as fishponds. Four of these lie regularly spaced in a line parallel to the north-eastern arm of the moat and 8m in from the moat edge. They are separated from the moat by a low bank up to 0.3m high representing spoil from the construction of the ponds. They are all rectangular and average some 10m long by 6m wide and are 1.5m deep; each contains shallow standing water. A fifth water-filled pond, 30m long by 4m wide and in excess of 1.5m deep, lies similarly orientated some 14m to the south of the group of four. All boundary features are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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:

19089

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Card no 0478,

End of official list entry

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