Moated site on the West Wiltshire Industrial Estate

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, relatively few survive in Wiltshire. This example is particularly important as it survives well, has high potential for the survival of archaeological and organic remains and displays a good range of features including a building platform.

Details

The monument includes a trapezoidal moated site on the West Wiltshire Trading Estate. It survives as a roughly rectangular enclosure aligned NW-SE and with maximum external dimensions of c.100m square. On the north-east side the island is surrounded by a ditch 10m wide and 0.9m deep, now virtually dry. There is a slight bank around the perimeter of the island which has overall dimensions of 60m by 50m. The island also contains a well-defined building platform. The original entrance appears to be in the centre of the south-east side. On the south-west side the interior bank is 8m wide and 1m high and the moat 17m wide and 1.7m deep. Outside this is a counterscarp bank 9m wide and 0.7m high.

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:

12048

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Dennison, E and Darvill, T, HBMC Monument Class Description - Moats, 1988,

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