Moated site 440m south west of Lindridge Fields 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 double moated site 440m south west of Lindridge Fields Farm survives well and is good example of this class of monument. The moated island will retain buried structural and artefactual evidence relating to the buildings which originally existed here, whilst, despite some infilling, the moat ditches will retain both environmental and artefactual information associated with the occupation of the site and the economy of its inhabitants.

Details

The monument is situated approximately 1km north west of Desford and includes the earthwork and buried remains of a moated site. It has external dimensions of approximately 105m north west-south east and 116m north east-south west and includes inner and outer moat ditches. The outer moat, which is shown on early Ordnance Survey maps, measures up to 12m wide. It has been mostly infilled, although the north western corner remains water-filled, but the moat ditches are considered to survive as a buried features and are thus included in the scheduling. A 19th century plan of the site provides evidence for further channels to the west and north west of the moated site, running north and then westwards from the north western corner of the outer moat. Most of these channels have been modified by ploughing, whilst the only visible section, to the north west of the moated site, has been culverted, and they are not included in the scheduling. The inner moat arms are water-filled and average 12m in width. In the mid-19th century the inner moat was drained and six, early 14th century, pottery vessels were recovered. There is no visible evidence for the original access onto the moated island and it is thought that it was via a bridge. The island itself, which is square in plan, is slightly raised above the surrounding ground surface and will retain buried deposits associated with its occupation and use. The timber steps, flagstones and the electricity pole 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:

21628

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Hoskins, WG, The Heritage of Leicestershire, (1950), 16

End of official list entry