Moated site 400m north east of New Hall

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 400m north east of New Hall Farm survives well. The platform has been disturbed by a poorly recorded excavation in 1995 but trenches were small and not deeply dug. The waterfilled moat will retain remains of from the period of occupation as well as organic and biological evidence for the farming regime and landscape around the moat in the medieval period.

Details

The monument includes a moated platform and a small fishpond to the north east of New Hall Farm. The estate on which this moated site was built was in the hands of the Thornton family in the 14th century. The house which stood on the moated platform is specifically referred to in 1580 and 1581 as `The Peyle' and `Peyle House' when it belonged to one William Hough. The field to the east of the moat is still known as Peel Hey. This house was probably abandoned when New Hall was built in about 1670. There are traces of dressed stone on the site which suggest the house was a substantial building. The moated platform is trapezoidal and measures 30m long by 25m wide at the northern end and 15m wide at the southern end. It is surrounded by a waterfilled ditch 15m wide on all sides. The fishpond lies just beyond the moat on the west side and is roughly circular with a diameter of 26m. The bank which separates the moat from the pond is about 0.7m wide at the top. Telegraph poles on the lip of the water features on the south east corner and north west side 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. 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:

32567

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Merseyside SMR, (1993)

End of official list entry

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