Stoke Albany moated site and fishponds

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.

Stoke Albany is a well preserved example of a moat and medieval water system made up of an intricate arrangement of dams, watercourses and fishponds. The significance of the ponds for fish stocking is documented historically.

Details

The monument lies on the north east side of the village of Stoke Albany. It consists of a small moated site, three fishponds and associated drainage channels, which were originally part of the manoria1 complex of Stoke Albany. The moated area in the centre of the site is approximately 50m square and the small moat island is surrounded by a ditch which is up to 10m wide and 3m deep. South of the moat lies the remains of a large rectangular pond with a dam on its north side. Originally water ran through a channel in the dam and flowed northwards to supply the moated system and to feed a second large embanked rectangular fishpond lying north of the moat. To the north of this second fishpond lies a third shallow and rectangular fishpond, which was dammed at its north end by a low bank, and remains of a smaller pond lie on its western side. Parts of the site are still waterlogged as a stream runs northwards through the monument. The protected area is bounded on the west by the remains of the medieval ridge and furrow field system. Records show that the manor of Stoke Albany was held in the 13th century by William d'Aubigny, and that he was granted fish from the fishpond at Rothwell to stock these ponds.

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:

13629

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Royal Commission on Historical Monuments, , An Inventory of Archaeological sites in central Northamptonshire, (1979), 137

End of official list entry

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