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 is situated approximately 350m north west of St James's Church
and includes Baddesley Clinton Hall moated site and its associated fishponds.
The moated site has external dimensions of 45m north west-south east and 60m
north east-south west. The waterfilled moat arms are revetted in stone and
measure up to 12m wide. Access to the moated island is by means of an early
18th century bridge across the north eastern arm of the moat. It has been
constructed in red brick and has two circular arches with a plain brick
parapet. The bridge is Listed Grade I and is included in the scheduling. The
moated island is occupied by Baddesley Clinton Hall, a fortified manor house,
which dates mostly from the mid- to late 15th century. The Hall consists of
three building ranges which occupy the north eastern, south eastern and south
western sides of the island. It is Listed Grade I and is not included in the
scheduling but the ground beneath the standing ranges is included. The
building range along the north western side of the moated island was
demolished in the 18th century. This range will survive as a buried feature
and its remains are included in the scheduling.
The area to the north and north east of the moated site, known as The
Forecourt, was occupied by several buildings during the medieval period. A
rectangular building is shown, immediately to the north of the Baddesley
Clinton Hall, on a 1699 estate map of the site. The buildings were dismantled
during the early 18th century but linear depressions and undulations in the
ground surface here, indicate that these buildings will survive as buried
features and are included in the scheduling.
Immediately to the north west of the moated site are two small waterfilled
ponds which are inter-connected by a brick-lined leat. They were dredged in
c.1980 when timber drain pipes were located in the bases of the ponds. The
drain pipes survive in situ and are included in the scheduling along with the
ponds themselves. Documents from the 15th century provide detailed evidence
for the construction of these ponds, which are thought to have functioned as
breeding tanks for fish. To the south west of the fishponds is a large
triangular-shaped pond which extends northwards in the form of a canal.
Although the pond is present on the 1699 estate map of the site, it has since
been greatly enlarged. It forms part of the landscape setting of Baddesley
Clinton Hall but is not included in the scheduling.
The building history of Baddesley is complex. The moated site is believed to
date from the 13th century, while most of the quadrangular house is no earlier
than the 15th century when the site was owned by the Brome family. Their
successors, the Ferrers, altered the building in the 16th century and
alterations also occurred in the early 18th and the 19th century.
Baddesley Clinton Hall, a Grade I Listed Building, is excluded from the
scheduling. The fence posts, the surfaces of all paths and driveways and the
bridge situated between the breeding tanks are also excluded, although the
ground beneath all these features, including the Hall, is included in the
scheduling.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
21578
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals 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
