Medieval moated site and later fortified manor house known as Bury Castle 100m west of the parish church

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The moated manor house was superseded by a fortified house on the moated platform. Fortified houses contain a mixture of domestic and military elements. The nature of the defences in this case include a curtain wall inside the moat, a gatehouse and possibly other towers and probably crenellated parapets to the walls. There would have been a hall and kitchens, storage and service areas within the walls. There may have been other buildings outside the moat in which granaries, stables and barns were located. The fortified house is a rare monument type with fewer than 200 identified in England. All examples exhibiting significant surviving archaeological remains are considered to be of national importance. The moated manor and subsequent fortified house at Bury survive as well preserved buried features on the site. Excavations in the 1970s have revealed the extent of the features and their state of preservation. The survival of the type of fortified manor is rare in the region and this one may be compared with the example at Radcliffe not far away. The protected area will contain much important information about the fortifications and the domestic and military regimes within the extent of the walls. The moat will contain more information about the surrounding environment at the time of occupation and later years. This will also enhance our knowledge of the settlement of the town in this period.

Details

The monument includes the buried remains of a medieval moated manor house which was fortified after a licence was granted by Edward IV in 1469. It became known as Bury Castle. The castle belonged to the Pilkington family between 1350 to 1489. It passed to the Stanley family by forfeiture to the Crown and from that date the buildings were allowed to fall into decay. The remains were finally destroyed during the Civil War after Royalists, having taken shelter in the ruins, surrendered following the Battle of Ribblesdale. The original platform for the moated manor house measured 47m by 41m with a moat 6m wide and 1.5m deep. The platform was constructed of clay and gravel supported by large pebbles. On this the original house was built in stone with walls 2m thick. This measured 25m by 20m. This building forms the bulk of the later fortified dwelling. At the time of fortification the moat was cleaned and widened and the platform reduced by 6m on average on the southern side. The vertical inside slope was revetted in stone providing a foundation for a buttressed curtain wall around the platform and a small tower on the south side. On the east side a bridge was constructed in stone. Subsequent developments on the site included the dismantling of the available stonework for other buildings and the erection of stock fences and digging of rubbish pits on the platform. The moat became filled with refuse. Parts of the site were excavated between 1972 and 1977 and revealed the sequences of occupation on the site and showed that substantial parts of the buttressed curtain wall survive in foundations on the site where later buildings with cellars have not destroyed the remains. All road surfaces are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them 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:

27595

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Tindall, A, The Moated House, (1985), 57-72

Other
Tyson, N, Excavations at the Site of Bury Castle, (1986)
Tyson, N, Excavations at the Site of Bury Castle, (1986)

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