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 Bradlegh Old Hall and its fishpond. The
site includes a rectangular island c.58m x 52m upon which stands Bradlegh Old
Hall and its outbuildings, a 15th century sandstone gatehouse through which
the driveway passes to the Hall, and well tended lawns and shrubs.
Surrounding the island is a waterlogged moat averaging c.12-14m wide x 1.4m
deep. Water feeds into the W arm via a pipe and exits by an outlet pipe in
the E arm.
Along the W half of the N arm the outer scarp has been given a shallower
batter to measure c.25m across at this point. Access to the island is across
the N arm via a modern causeway leading to the gatehouse that replaced an
earlier stone bridge. A short distance to the W of the moat is a narrow L-
shaped fishpond - its N arm measuring c.60m long x 8m wide, and its W arm
measuring c.30m long x 8m wide before opening out at its S end into a sub-
rectangular dry hollow c.20m x 14m x 1.5m deep.
Bradlegh Old Hall was originally a 15th century moated manor house of which
only the gatehouse and moat remain. The present building is late 16th century
incorporating earlier features. The hall and gatehouse are both Listed
Buildings Grade II.
Bradlegh Old Hall, its outbuildings and service pipes; the gatehouse, driveway
and sandstone flanking walls the modern causeway; the moat inlet and outlet
pipes; an oil storage tank, all fences, flagged areas, and an ornate timber
feature on the E lawn, are all excluded from the scheduling. The ground
beneath all these features, however, is included. The monument includes two
separate protected areas.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
13479
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
