Medieval moated site, Peters Green

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 site at Peter's Green is a good example of a moat with an attached fishpond. Partial excavation has confirmed remains of archaeological interest survive well.

Details

The moated site at Peters Green is oval in shape and includes a slightly raised island within a broad moat situated just above the floodplain of the Kent Ditch. Moated sites are generally seen as the prestigious residences of the Lords of the manor. The moat marked the high status of the occupier, but also served to deter casual raiders and wild animals. Most moated sites were constructed between 1250 and 1350, and partial excavations at this site in 1970 suggested that a 13th century date for its origin is indeed appropriate. Excavation also showed that the moated site was short lived, having been abandoned around the time at which Bodiam Castle was built ca. 1390. On the north west side of the monument is a rectangular expansion of the moat which probably represents a former fishpond which would have been separated from the main moat by a sluice and which would have supplied fresh fish for the table. Such features are usually on the upstream side of moated sites, and the location of the example at Peter's Green suggests that the water courses in the area have been altered significantly, probably at the time of parliamentary enclosure when the neighbouring regular fields were laid out and a new drainage system organised. All above-ground structures within the constraint area are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 1 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:

12739

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Medieval Archaeology in Medieval Archaeology, (1962)
Martin, D I, The Rape of Hastings Architectural Survey in Bodiam Moated Homestead, ()

Other
Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Moats, (1988)
Copy held by NAR, TQ 72 NE 7,

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