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 or, in some cases, which were used for
horticulture. 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 Lodge Farm is of particular importance because the
earthworks survive well and illustrate some of the diversity of
component parts which went to make up a moated site. In addition the
waterlogged state of much of the moat and the undisturbed nature of
the moat island suggest that the potential for the recovery of various
types of archaeological evidence is high.
Details
The monument at Lodge Farm includes the surviving parts of a paddock
boundary and artificial watercourse in addition to the remains of a
medieval moated site. 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 moats were constructed in the period either
side of 1300 AD, and it is likely that the example at Lodge Farm was
linked to the establishment of a deer park in the area in 1262, in
which case the monument may have formed the hunting lodge for
occasional occupation by the owner and guests.
The moat itself is nearly square in shape and is embanked almost
continuously on the outer side, more noticably on the downslope side.
The inner edge also has a slight bank. The moat island, on which finds
of stone foundations and medieval pottery have been made, is flat but
the outline of a building is perhaps traceable in the differently-
coloured grasses. To the south-east is the inlet leat through which
water was drawn into the moat, while it escaped along one part of the
adjoining paddock boundary into an artificial water course and thence
into a nearby stream. The paddock boundary is visible now only as a
slight bank and ditch, but would originally have formed an effective
barrier to predators and penned animals alike. Only the fencing which
crosses the constraint area is excluded from the scheduling.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
12751
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
