Moated site and fishponds E of Upp Hall Farm.

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 seigniorial 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 E of Upp Hall survives well, its earthworks being clearly visible. It is unique in Lancashire as the only oval-shaped moated site in the county, and as such illustrates well the diversity of form and size in this class of monument. Lancashire lies beyond the `heartland' of moated site distribution in England, and this example represents the most northerly moated site in the country, thus also emphasising the geographical range of this class of monument.

Details

The monument E of Upp Hall Farm comprises an oval moated site which, due to modern field boundaries, appears to be five-sided. The site was that of the old moated manor house, replaced by the present Upp Hall in the late 18th or early 19th century. The site consists of an oval island grassed over and raised at it's centre some 1.3m above the rest of the interior. It possesses an internal bank along its NE and N sides. The island is surrounded by a dry moat on its NW and SW sides which expands in width to form a fishpond at the W corner. The moat varies between 6 and 10m in width and has a maximum depth of 1.5m. The moat was fed by a spring-fed stream which rises between the N and NE outer banks of the site. This stream flows into a boggy area to the S of the island which was formerly a fishpond. The N side of the moat has been infilled. An outer bank exists along the SE, NE and N sides of the moat. All fences and hedges are excluded from the scheduling, as is the wooden hen cabin close to the E corner of the island. The ground beneath all these features, however, is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

13426

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Lancs SMR, PRN 2733. N798.,
Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Moats, (1988)
Lancs SMR, PRN 2733.,
Dennison, E., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Fishponds, (1988)

End of official list entry

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