Moated site at Grange Farm

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 at Grange Farm survives well as a buried feature and contains archaeological information relating to its construction and occupation. Moated sites are relatively rare in Devon and this is a good example.

Details

The monument includes a moated site at Grange Farm, Merton which lies to the west of All Saints Church. The site lies beside a field boundary in a field known as Church Field. The monument is clearly visible on RAF aerial photographs taken in 1946, as a rectangular structure measuring 50m long by 30m wide internally, defined by a bank and ditch. A further bank leads towards Merton and lies parallel to the nearby field boundary. This field boundary is also seen to kink where it encounters the moated site. The area where the moat is situated has been subject to tipping of topsoil in the past which has served to preserve the moated site as an entirely buried feature. The bank leading from the moat is not included in the scheduling as it is not currently known whether it is contemporary with the moated site.

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:

30317

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SS51SW5,

End of official list entry

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