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 known as the Manor of Moyne survives well. The circuit of the
moat is complete and shows little sign of modern disturbance. The fills
within the moat will contain valuable artefactual evidence related to the
period of occupation, and environmental evidence illustrating the appearance
of the landscape in which the monument was set. The island contains visible
and buried evidence for a variety of structures which will represent the
character of the settlement. These will include the site of the main dwelling
and various ancillary buildings together with other buried features such as
yards and refuse pits.
The fishponds are a significant illustration of the economy and status of the
site. Ponds of this type are a characteristic feature of a wide range of
medieval settlements. The artificial pools were constructed for the purpose
of cultivating, breeding and storing fish in order to provide a constant and
sustainable food supply. On sites such as the Manor of Moyne, the moat itself
would almost certainly have served as part of the system with the ponds being
used to rear the fry and to separate stocks of differing age or species. The
difficulty of obtaining fresh meat throughout the year was only one reason for
the development of fishponds. The ponds also enabled compliance with religious
dietary requirements (eating fish on Fridays and other fast days) and served
as a status symbol, enhancing the prestige of the household. The visible
remains of the fishponds at the Manor of Moyne are good examples of internal
and external ponds, and the silts within them will retain further artefactual
and environmental evidence related to the period of use.
The mill mound is also a significant indication of the site's economy.
Windmills of the medieval period were wooden structures mounted on central
posts attached to cross timbers embedded in an earthen mound for stability.
The superstructure was rotated to face into the wind by pushing a pole
projecting from the mill on the opposite site to the sails, the end of which
was often supported by a wheel which left a characteristic channel around the
mound. The appearance of the superstructure is only known from documentary
evidence as no medieval examples have survived. The mounds sometimes remain
and those, such as at the Manor of Moyne, which are found in association with
contemporary monuments are considered nationally important. The mill mound at
the Manor of Moyne will retain buried evidence for the position of the central
post and will contain further evidence for the structure on which the windmill
was mounted. Its presence signifies part of the agricultural role of the
settlement and, as mills were often controlled by manorial lords, has
implications for the social standing of the moated site.
Details
The monument includes a medieval moated site known as the Manor of Moyne or
Moygne, situated to the east of, and partly within, Raveley Wood, some 370m
north west of White House Farm.
The rectangular island is defined by a moat averaging 5m in width and up to
about 3m deep. The northern and western arms retain standing water and the
eastern arm is waterlogged. The southern arm has been partly infilled and is
now dry. The outer edge of the moat is embanked to the north, west and south.
No causeway across the moat is apparent, and it is probable that access to the
island was originally via a bridge.
A slight bank follows the edge of the island around the south western corner,
the western and northern sides. The bank can only be traced along the northern
half of the eastern side. Here, roughly at the centre, it turns west towards
the middle of the island, forming a partial division between the northern and
southern portions.
At the north western corner of the island, in the angle of the bank, is a
rectangular depression which is considered to be a fishpond. It measures
about 40m long by 24m wide. The southern and eastern sides descend in a slight
step, suggesting perhaps that the pond has been enlarged, possibly to form an
area for skating during the post medieval period.
There is a low, oval mound to the east of the fishpond, perhaps the upcast
from the construction of the pond. A circular mound attached to the bank at
the north eastern corner of the island may reflect the location of a structure
such as a dovecote. Other surface irregularities towards the centre of the
island and in the southern portion also suggest the locations of former
buildings including the principal dwelling.
On the outer edge of the moat, at the south eastern corner, a mound about 1.3m
high and 12m in diameter, indicates the site of a former windmill. The mound
is flat topped and there is a slight ramp to the south east.
A second fishpond measuring about 32m long by 10m wide lies to the south west
of the mill mound.
The moated site has been identified with the Manor of Moyne. In the 11th
century this manor was held by Edwin who may have been the son of Ailwin, the
founder of Ramsey Abbey. Early in the 12th century Abbot Rainald of Ramsey
Abbey gave the manor to Hervey le Moine, one of the abbey's knights. The Moyne
family held the property, which came to bear their name, until the 15th
century when it passed through the female line to the Hores of Childerley.
However, in 1453, by an agreement between John Hore and the then Abbot of
Ramsey, John Stow, the manor was bought back by the abbey. After the
Dissolution of the monasteries the property was acquired by Sir Richard
Cromwell who granted it to the Sewsters of Ashwell in Hertfordshire in 1542.
By marriage the manor came into the hands of the Peyton family and passed to
Henry Dashwood, nephew of Sir Thomas Peyton in 1771. Henry Dashwood changed
his name by Act of Parliament to Henry Peyton in that year and his descendants
continued to hold the property into the present century.
All fences and fence posts are excluded from the scheduling, although the
ground beneath these features is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
