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.
Details
The monument includes the earthworks of a triangular moated enclosure with
buried and earthwork remains of a second enclosure to the west. It also
includes a building platform to the east of the main moat, the earthworks of
boundary features and two sets of ridge and furrow to the north and east of
the main moat.
The main moated island is triangular, with the northern and western arms of
the moat ditch, which are both approximately 100m long, forming a right angle
and the south eastern arm following a slightly irregular course to complete
the circuit. The island thus formed retains a number of low earthworks and
levelled areas that are interpreted as the remains of Catterton Hall which is
mentioned in both 13th and 16th century documents. Around much of the edge of
the island there is a broad low bank which at other sites has been shown to
have resulted from periodic dredging of the moat ditch following its
construction. At the southern end of the island there is a small fishpond
which is now used as a cattle watering hole. To the west, immediately beyond a
hedge line, there are the heavily silted earthworks of a second much smaller
moated island. A moat ditch extends northwards from the encircling ditch of
this smaller island. It then turns south westwards and then southwards to
partly enclose another small area of land which an early aerial photograph
shows to lack the ridge and furrow which cover the surrounding fields. These
ditches, which are now infilled, show as soil marks on later aerial
photographs and as a slight depression on the ground. To the east of the main
moated island there are the earthworks of a small building platform, with an
east to west boundary ditch lying just to its north. To the north of this
ditch there is a set of curving ridge and furrow orientated north-south, with
a second set orientated roughly east-west to be parallel with the northern arm
of the moat. This ridge and furrow are the remnants of the open field system
which originally surrounded the medieval settlement of Catterton. Forming the
northern boundary of these two sets of ridge and furrow is an east-west, flat
bottomed depression which is crossed by the earthwork of the causeway between
Catterton village and the main moated island. This causeway can also be traced
across the east-west ridge and furrow.
All post and wire fencing is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground
beneath is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
30109
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
