Frickley Old Hall moated site

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.

Frickley Old Hall is a good and well-documented example of a small moated site with the largely undisturbed remains of medieval buildings preserved in the island deposits. Organic material is likely to survive in its waterfilled moat.

Details

The monument consists of a rectangular island measuring 30m x 20m surrounded by a waterfilled moat c.10m wide. The south arm of the moat was widened in the second half of the 19th century to create an ornamental lake, incorporating a separate fishpond contemporary with the moated site and shown on the 1854 O.S. 6':1 mile map. The moat is stone revetted to north and west and the foundations of a stone bridge are visible approximately midway along the west arm. Known to be the manor of the Annes from the 14th century onwards, the size of the island indicates it was the site of the manor house only, demolished when the present hall was built. The boathouse within the constraint area is excluded from the scheduling though the ground underneath 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:

13235

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Hunter, J, South Yorkshire , (1831)
Le Patourel, H E J, Moated site of Yorkshire, (1973)
Magilton, J, The Doncaster District, (1977)

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