Moated site 590m north east of The Elms

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 590m north east of The Elms survives as a largely undisturbed and well preserved example of its class of monument. The undisturbed nature of the island will preserve evidence of former structures, including both domestic and ancillary buildings and their associated occupation levels. These remains will help illustrate the nature of use of the site and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. The moated site and pond will also preserve deposits relating to their construction and any subsequent alterations. The waterlogged condition of the moat and pond will preserve environmental information about the ecosystem and landscape in which it was set.

Details

The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of a moated site 590m north east of The Elms, Kenswick. Kenswick became a separate parish in 1857 having formerly been a chapelry of Knightwick. The moat is sub-rectangular in plan and is filled in its southern corner by a stream which flows through the moat and exits from its northern corner. The moat measures up to 10m wide by 2m to 3m deep. Access to the island is gained via two causeways, one located midway along the southern arm and a second in the northern corner. The moat is waterlogged throughout most of its circuit and is water-filled in its eastern corner. The island measures approximately 70m by 50m, and in its north east corner there is a pond which measures 30m by 10m. The pond is water-filled and approximately 2m to 3m deep. The moat island is undisturbed and appears to preserve some internal banks. The Broadheath Tithe map of 1747 shows an `L' shaped building and an outbuilding on the island defined by ponds to the west and east. These buildings are expected to survive as buried features. An orchard is shown to the west of the moat. All modern fences 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.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

31958

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Moger, O, Wragge, A, The Victoria History of the County of Worcestershire, (1913), 438-441

Other
Title: Map (Partridge Farm), Parish File, Broadheath 00911-5403-4 Source Date: 1747 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:
Unpublished notes in SMR, 1997,
Woodiwiss, S., SMR Records, (1990)

End of official list entry

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