Moated site 150m east of St Nicholas' Church

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 150m east of St Nicholas' Church survives as a well preserved example of a medieval manorial moat, believed to have been superseded in the 16th century by a timber framed building to the west. The moat island will be expected to preserve evidence of former structures, including both domestic and ancillary buildings and their associated occupation levels. These remains will illustrate the nature of use of the site and the lifestyle of its inhabitants in addition to providing evidence on the date of the construction and subsequent periods of use of the moat. The moat ditch will be expected to preserve evidence of its construction and any subsequent alterations during its active history. In addition, the waterlogged condition of the moat will preserve environmental information about the ecosystem and landscape in which it was set. The low platform to the west will be expected to preserve evidence for the relationship between the secular moat and the church, including possible building remains.

Details

The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of the medieval moated site approximately 120m east of the St Nicholas' Church. The site is located on generally level ground and is believed to represent the location of the original Earls Croome Court, the seat of the de Croome family. The present timber framed Earls Croome Court dates largely from the 16th and 17th centuries and is located 250m to the west. The moat island is rectangular, measuring some 30m by 28m, and is defined by a substantial water-filled moat which measures approximately 8m wide by up to 1m deep. The north east and south east corners of the moat have been extended eastwards for up to 20m, reportedly to serve as stock watering ponds. The island is generally level and is believed to be undisturbed, access being gained via a causeway at the north west corner of the moat. The island retains visible stone revetting, particularly along the northern arm where three shallow arches of approximately 0.8m span are visible just above the water line. A low platform measuring approximately 20m wide by up to 0.3m high runs westwards for 40m from the centre of the western arm and is believed to represent an associated stock or garden enclosure and may include evidence for ancillary buildings. All modern fencing is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath it 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:

31960

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Bond C J, SMR Cards, (1972)
Various, EH files: AA 90707/1, (1970)
Bond, C.J., Provisional List of Moats in Worcestershire, (1972)

End of official list entry

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