Moated site, near Hill House, Old Warden

Overview

Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument

List Entry Number: 1013410

Date first listed: 16-Oct-1991

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

National Grid Reference: TL 17162 44440

Summary

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

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.

This moated site is of an unusual double-moated form. It exhibits a range of features, including a well maintained water management complex.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

This is a double moated site of unusual plan with various associated water- filled channels and a fishpond. The site includes a main moat approximately 100m square, which is connected to a smaller enclosure to the north and a second adjacent moat on the north-east side. A rebuilt seventeenth century house stands on the first moat island and the wall foundations of further buildings can be identified nearby. A large mound to the south of the present house was created recently when debris was removed from the moat ditches. The foundations of a bridge are visible along the moat's southern arm. The second moat, of similar size to the first, is connected by a dry causeway to the main moat and partly overlaps with the northern sub- enclosure. Only two arms of this moat are visible; the southern and eastern arms have been infilled. The foundations of a bridge can be seen on the western arm. A heavily overgrown area to the west of the moated complex is included within the protected area as it contains various drainage channels responsible for maintaining the water levels in the moats. The sluice in the north boundary of the moat is excluded, however the ground around it is included in the scheduling. Also included is a fish pond to the south which is connected to the moats via an outlet channel. The rebuilt seventeenth century house is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath is included.

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: 13606

Legacy System: RSM

Sources

Other
CRO: AD2974, Sale Catalogue of Hill Hall, (1766)

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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.