Radcliffe moated site, Langthwaite, Adwick le Street

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.

Radcliffe Moat, with its substantial surviving earthworks and largely undisturbed island, is a good example of this type of monument. Organic and palaeoenvironmental remains will be well preserved in its waterlogged moat. The monument is also part of a group including nearby Castle Hills motte and bailey castle, which it superseded, and the deserted village of Langthwaite.

Details

The monument consists of a trapezoidal island, measuring 65m on the east side, c.55m on the north (under railway embankments), 50m on the south side and an estimated 45m on the west. It is surrounded by a water-filled moat linked to Langthwaite Dike on the south side. The island has a distinct inner bank along the south, west and east sides which presumably also ran along the north side and is now buried. The surface of the island is irregular but there are no obvious building platforms. In 1828 however, Hunter makes reference to a house that was demolished in the late 17th century by the then owner, Sir William Adams. Prior to that, the manor had been in the hands of Hugh de Langthwaite and later, the Woodruffes of Woolley. It was sold by Francis Woodruffe in the reign of Elizabeth I. The monument was the successor to Castle Hills motte and bailey castle which lies c.350m to the WSW. Both sites commanded the manor of Langthwaite (later Hangthwaite) and faint earthworks in the field separating the two monuments indicate the site of the deserted village. Langthwaite deserted village does not form part of the scheduling. The railway line, embankment and wire fencing are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground underneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

13215

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Hunter, J, South Yorkshire , (1831)
Le Patourel, H E J, The Moated Sites of Yorkshire, (1973)
Addy, S O, Some Defensive Earthworks In The Neighbourhood Of Sheffield, (1914)
Magilton, J, The Doncaster District, (1977)

End of official list entry

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