Moated site at Bellamys 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 at Bellamys Farm survives well, despite the presence of later buildings. 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. Within the moat waterlogged deposits will 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 a moated site on low-lying ground, at Bellamys Farm. The rectangular moat encloses an island measuring 42m by 38m, orientated north- south. The moat is 10m wide at its widest point, up to 3m deep and is waterfilled. A series of modern buildings stand in the north east corner of the island extending to the south. There is no evidence for an original causeway across the moat, but a stone-built bridge crosses the centre of the northern arm. The moated site is believed to have taken its name from the Bellamy family who appear in the Dymock manor rolls of the 14th and 15th centuries. A number of features are excluded from the scheduling; these are the modern farmhouse and all other modern structures on the island, the gravel surface of the drive and parking area, all terraces, the walls and stone surfaces of the sunken gardens, the surface of the tennis court to the south east of the moat, the stone bridge across the northern arm of the moat and the wooden footbridge across the western arm, all stone and brick walls, wooden fences and gates; the ground beneath all these features is, however, 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:

32339

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Jones, J E G, Dymock Down the Ages, (1952), 149

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