Moated site immediately south of Manor Farm

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.

Despite disturbance from tipping on and around the moat, the island remains substantially undisturbed and will retain buried evidence for structures and other features relating to the earlier periods of occupation. The buried silts in the base of the ditches will contain both artefacts relating to the period of occupation and environmental evidence for the appearance of the landscape in which the monument was set.

The monument lies in an area where moated sites are fairly numerous, with further examples situated in the main village of North Crawley to the north west and at Hardmead to the north. Comparisons between these sites will provide valuable insights into the developments of settlement and society in the medieval period.

Details

The monument includes a medieval moated site immediately south of Manor Farm at East End, North Crawley.

The moated site includes a trapezoidal island measuring 64m north east-south west by a maximum of 62m north west-south east. The island is contained by a moat which has a maximum width of 9m and depth of 1.2m. An outer bank, thought to be upcast from the ditch is visible only on the north east and south east sides of the moat. This has a maximum height of 0.5m and width of 4m. A wide extension to the north west arm of the moat runs for 20m in a north westerly direction. The island is approached by a 4m wide causeway on the north western side. A 17th century stone house, which stood on the island until its demolition in 1935, may have represented a successor to Filliol Manor which is thought to have occupied the site from the late 12th century.

The hardcore surface on the island, sheds, bird pens, the remains of a comparatively recent stone and brick building on the island, the concrete revetting to the north west extension of the moat, the wooden bridge over its south east arm, and the southern part of the barn where it falls within the monument's protective margin, are all 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:

32123

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Chibnall, A C, Beyond Sherington, (1979), 102

Other
RCHM Bucks,

End of official list entry

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