Moated site east of Kellam's 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 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.

The monument at Bardon survives in good condition and is a rare example in Leicestershire of an oval moat. The raised island has high potential for the survival of archaeological remains and a buried ancient land surface.

Details

The monument includes an oval moated site located in an isolated low-lying position 1km east of Bardon Hill.

The moated area measures approximately 65m x 75m with no inner or outer banks. The moat island is raised between 0.5m and 1m above the surrounding land surface. The surrounding ditch is mainly dry with a little waterlogging and is an average of 12m wide and 1.5m deep. An adjoining channel on the western side runs for 12m and is 8m wide and 1.5m deep. On the south-east side are two small adjoining ditches surviving as slight indentations about 2m wide and running into a nearby field ditch.

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:

17067

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Hartley, R F, The Medieval Earthworks of North-West Leicestershire, (1984), 8/9

End of official list entry

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