Moated site 400m north-east of Hooker's Gate

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.

Although a large number of moated sites are known in England, relatively few survive in Wiltshire. This site is particularly important as it survives well and has potential for the recovery of archaeological remains. The importance of the site is enhanced by the association with a small part of the drainage channel and the supply channel to the south-east. Both provide a clear indication as to the workings of the monument.

Details

The monument includes a square moated site 400m ENE of Hooker's Gate. The moat survives as an earthwork, orientated NE-SW, with maximum external dimensions of between 70 and 80m square. The island is slightly raised above surrounding ground and has dimensions of between 50 and 60m square. It is enclosed by a dry ditch of between 5 and 10m wide and up to 2m deep. It would appear that water was supplied from a small stream, through a gap in the south-east corner and flowed out at the north-west corner down a deep channel which joined the meandering course of an old stream. The channel is now largely destroyed by the construction of a motorway embankment. Beyond the ditch are the remains of an outer bank which surrounds the site and stands to a height of 0.5m. There are no clear indications of foundations on the site although tiles were found in a cattle scrape outside the ditch on the south side of the monument. Bricks and rubble are also visible along the outside of the western arm.

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:

12067

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Dennison, E and Darvill, T, HBMC Monument Class Description - Moats, 1988,
Moated site 400m ENE of Hookers Gate, (Tiles, bricks and rubble found at moated site),

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