Garshall moated site

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 survives in good condition, its earthworks being particularly evident. The site is unencumbered by modern development and will retain considerable evidence of the structural foundations of the building that originally occupied the island.

Details

The monument is a well preserved moated site situated in a valley bottom. The site includes a raised grassy island c.49m square possessing a low inner bank c.6m wide x 0.2m high along its E side and a low mound c.0.1m high at its NW corner. A seasonally wet moat 13m wide x 4m deep surrounds the island and was fed by an inlet channel c.3.6m long x 2.5m wide and now dry that enters at the NW corner. Outer banks exist on three sides - that to the E measures 10m wide x 2m high at its S end diminishing to 0.2m high at its N end, that to the S is c.18m wide x 0.4m high and follows the edge of the moat around the SW corner and along the W side for some 25m in the process of which it diminishes to c.13m wide x 0.2m high. Faint traces of an outer bank 0.05m high flank the remainder of the W side. Worked sandstone blocks removed during the demolition of the building occupying the island at this site have been used as foundations for the brick- built Garshall Green Farm some 700m to the N.

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:

13468

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
PRN 181, Staffordshire SMR, Garshall House: Milwich,
Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Moats, (1988)
Mr Mainwaring (Site Owner), To Robinson, K.D. MPPFW, (1990)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

Print the official list entry