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 the remains of a moated site, fishponds and associated
earthworks situated on a gentle east facing slope. The moated enclosure is
rectangular in shape with overall dimensions of 90m north to south by 84m west
to east. The moat ditch is best preserved around the west, south and
south-east sides where it averages 10m wide and is up to 1.7m deep. The
north-eastern quadrant of the moat is shallow and considerably less well
defined and has possibly been slighted at some time in the past. The central
platform of the moat measures some 60m north to south by 44m west to east and
is raised slightly above the surrounding land surface. The interior surface of
the platform is disturbed and uneven particularly in the northern half
indicating the survival of sub-surface building remains. There is also some
loose stone on the surface in this area but no visible evidence of worked
stone or masonry. In the south-western corner of the platform, separated from
the edge of the moat by a narrow bank, is a rectangular hollow 28m west to
east by 8m north to south and 1.6m deep. The sides of the hollow are steep and
the base surface is level and even. Its close proximity to the edge of the
moat suggests that it is likely to be the remains of a small fishpond. A
shallow hollow 15m square and 0.6m deep, possibly the site of a building, lies
immediately to the north of this feature.
To the east of the moated enclosure a recently constructed lake approaches to
within 50m of the moat edge; in the area between are the truncated remains of
fragmentary banks and hollows which are thought to represent the remains of
village crofts or garden plots. A roughly rectangular hollow some 30m by 20m
and 0.5m deep which lies adjacent to the north-eastern corner of the moat may
represent the remains of a second early fishpond.
To the east of the moat some 60m upslope is a large fishpond which appears
later in date. It measures 100m north to south by 30m east to west and has a
central island. The pond is contained along its eastern downslope side by a
substantial embankment some 8m wide at base and up to 2m high. A second
smaller pond of similar age lies to the north; this is 38m north to south by
8m west to east.
The Grade II Listed 17th century dovecote, all field boundaries and modern
structures are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath all
these features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
19081
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
