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 moated site north of Oakdale Farm includes an inner and outer moat which
define a small square moat island and an L-shaped precinct area. Moated
sites are generally seen as the prestigious residences of the Lords of the
manor, the moat marking the high status of the occupier but also serving to
deter casual raiders and wild animals. Most moated sites were built in the
period to either side of 1300 AD, and it is to this period that the example at
Oakdale Farm is likely to date.
The monument occupies an unusual hillside location rather than, as is more
common, a valley-bottom. The small, nearly-sqaure moat island is the probable
site of the main residence of which nothing remains above the ground, while
the L-shaped raised area may have provided space for ancillary buildings such
as stables or granaries. There is no visible evidence of the original access
onto the moated area, but the track from the south-west may formerly have led
onto the islands via a bridge. There is no evidence of an inlet stream, and
the moats were probably filled by spring-water.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12758
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
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
