Moated site at Bishop Ullathorne School

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.

The moated site at Bishop Ullathorne School is a well preserved example of this class of monument and is unencumbered by modern development. The moated island will retain structural and artefactual evidence for the buildings which originally existed here, whilst the moat ditches, particularly the water filled southern corner, will contain both artefactual and environmental information relating to the site's occupation and the economy of its inhabitants as well as the landscape in which it was set. As a monument situated within school grounds it serves as both an educational and an amenity resource.

Details

The monument is situated within the grounds of Bishop Ullathorne Roman Catholic School on the south western outskirts of Coventry and includes a moated site. The moated site has external dimensions of 52m north west to south east and 70m north east to south west and projects out of an east facing slope. The dry moat ditches are up to 15m wide and approximately 1.5m deep. At the southern corner of the site, the moat ditch projects to the south west to form a pond area which remains water filled and is included in the scheduling. A modern service road bisects the site and is thought to overlie the original entrance onto the moated island, which is believed to have been from the north, across the north eastern arm of the moat. The moated island is raised above the surrounding ground surface and is approximately 33m square. It has a relatively level surface and is thought to retain buried archaeological features associated with the occupation of the moated site. A late 16th century map of the area provides evidence for the setting of the moated site during the post-medieval period. At this time it was located within an open area which was bounded to the south and east by belts of woodland. The surfaces of all driveways, the flag-pole, and the modern bridges across the north eastern and south western moat ditches are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features 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:

21619

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: Map of Stoneleigh Source Date: 1597 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

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