Moat and fishpond at Bentham Manor

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 moat at Bentham Manor survives reasonably well, despite the presence of later buildings on part of the island. Buried deposits on the island are likely to include the remains of medieval structures, and will contain archaeological information relating to the construction and subsequent occupation and use of the moated site. The fishpond to the west of the moat also survives well. Fishponds were of great importance during the medieval period, as they provided a source of protein during the winter months when fresh meat was unavailable. The fishpond at Bentham will provide important information about the status and economy of the moated site. Within the moat and fishpond, waterlogged deposits are expected to have preserved archaeological remains relating to the occupation and use of the site, along with organic material which will provide information about the economy of the site and the local environment during the medieval period.

Details

The monument includes the known surviving extent of a moated site and a fishpond. The northern arm of the moat, which is about 90m long, survives to between 6m and 8m in width and up to 1m in depth. The remains of the eastern and western moat arms are visible where they adjoin the northern arm although much of their length has been infilled. That part of them within the area of the scheduling will survive as buried features, but outside the area of the monument they are obscured by later development and are not therefore included in the scheduling. The fishpond, which is about 60m long, has a maximum width of 12m and is between 1.5m and 2m deep. It was fed by a leat from the north west corner of the moat. Although not visible at ground level buildings are expected to survive as buried features in the unoccupied parts of the island. The ha-ha and all modern fences 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

32331

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Cardew, G A, Trans. of the Bristol and Glos. Arch. Society in The Moats or Waterfronts of the Vale of Severn, Vol. XXI, (1898), 65

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