Moated site 130m west of Bere Marsh 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 moat 130m west of Bere Marsh Farm will contain archaeological and environmental remains providing information about medieval society, economy and landscape.

Details

The monument includes a moated site on the floodplain of the River Stour 130m west of Bere Marsh Farm. The history of the site is unknown but documents dating back to 1384 refer to the Manor of Bere and the moat may be the site of the manor house. The moat has a ditch, 12m wide, surrounding an almost square platform 35m across. The ditch is waterfilled on the west, south and east sides, now fed by a spring adjacent to the western side and drained by a channel at its south eastern corner. There is no sign of an original causeway. There is an outer bank on the northern, western, and southern sides, up to 7m wide and 0.5m high. On the south and west sides there is a gap of about 4.5m between the bank and the edge of the moat while on the northern side it is immediately adjacent. There are no traces of buildings in the level interior. To the west of the moat there is a rectangular area, 30m by 8.5m, enclosed by banks on its southern, western and eastern sides. Two drainage channels lead into it from the north west and it opens onto a third to the south. It is not clear, on the basis of current understanding of the site, if these features are associated with the moat and they are not included in the scheduling. All fence posts and duck pens are 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:

31074

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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