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 is the moated site of Hough Hall and includes a grassy
island c.30m square surrounded on three sides by a dry moat c.15m wide x 1.5m
deep except on the NW side where the bed of a now infilled stream has been
widened to make a shallow moat c.30m wide that remains boggy. A grassy outer
bank 9m wide x 0.6m high flanks the NE arm and was originally a dam designed
to raise the water level to flood the moat. A waterlogged pond or marl pit
has been cut into the bank's E end. To the SW of the moat lies an
irregularly-shaped grassy, boggy area with maximum measurements of 45m x 21m
that is the site of a former fishpond now partially drained and infilled.
Adjacent to the moat's SW arm is a grassy ancillary enclosure measuring c.40m
x 70m that is crossed by a grassy track running from Hulseheath Lane to the
fishpond.
The moated site was constructed some time before 1350. Limited excavations on
the island revealed pits pre-dating the moated site, above which were found
the structural remains of a complex group of buildings occupying a moated
messuage of high status that was abandoned by 1500. The ancillary-enclosure
contained cottages and gardens reached by the track from Hulseheath Lane.
These buildings had been demolished by 1870.
All field boundaries are excluded from the scheduling, however, the ground
beneath them is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13478
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
