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 monument includes a medieval moated site situated in Greystoke Park on a
gently sloping hillside plateau above Summerground Gill. It includes a
platform or island largely surrounded by a moat, now dry, which is partly
flanked by an outer bank. The island has maximum dimensions of 140m north west
- south east by 82m north east - south west. On the western side of the
island, a little north of centre, there is a rectangular building platform
measuring approximately 25m by 20m that indicates the site of the house which
originally occupied the island. Elsewhere on the island there is a series of
linear drainage ditches constructed to channel water into the surrounding
moat. The moat survives best on the western side and the southern half of the
eastern side. At these points it measures up to 3m wide by 1.3m deep and is
flanked by inner and outer banks. An outlet channel 0.5m wide is cut through
the outer bank at the south east corner to allow water to drain down the steep
hillslope. On the south side a small plantation partly overlies the moat and
its outer bank. On the northern side a natural stream formed the northern arm
of the moat while on the north east side a steep slope down to a tributary of
Summerground Gill precluded the need for a moat and its flanking earthworks.
Access to the island was gained by an entrance on the midpoint of the western
side.
All field boundaries are excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath
them is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23775
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
