Moated site in Whitcliff Deer Park 375m south east of Comeley 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.

The moated site in Whitcliff Deer Park 375m south east of Comely Farm survives well and is unencumbered by later structures. Buried deposits in the fill of the moat and on the island, where there are likely to be the remains of medieval habitation, will contain archaeological information concerning the construction and subsequent occupation and use of the moated site, along with organic material which will provide information about the local environment and economy of the site. The location of the site within the deer park which originated during the late 12th or early 13th century, gives the monument additional interest.

Details

The monument includes a moated site and associated fishpond set on low-lying ground 375m south east of Comely Farm. It includes a square moat enclosing an island 27m square, orientated north east-south west. The moat is 12m wide at its widest point and up to 2m deep. An external bank on the north west side is about 2.5m wide and 1m high. The southern end of the north west arm has been widened to form a large pond, while a second pond lies immediately to the north of the moat. A narrow causeway, providing access to the island and measuring about 2m across lies in the western corner of the moat, possibly in its original position. There is no visible evidence for structures on the island, although they will survive as buried features and can be expected to include domestic and ancillary buildings. The date at which the moated site was constructed is uncertain, although it is most likely to have been at the height of the period when these sites were being built, between 1250 and 1350. The moated site may have been a hunting lodge or connected with the management of the deer park which has been recorded from 1270. The metal fence which runs north west-south east across the northern corner of the moat is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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:

32338

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Smith, J, A Description of the Hundred of Berkeley, (1639)

End of official list entry

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