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 remains of the moated manorial complex at Hall Close survive well as a
series of earthworks and buried deposits. There is waterlogging in the pond,
and also some waterlogging of the open moat and ditches, and these elements,
together with the buried deposits within the infilled northern arm of the moat
and its links to the former course of the North Beck, will preserve organic
remains, such as timber, leather, and seeds which will give an insight into
domestic and economic activity on the site. In addition the banks round the
moat and ditches will preserve evidence of the land use prior to their
construction.
The manorial complex at Hall Close is rare in being only one of two surviving
moated sites of a group of five formerly located within a small area in the
parish; as such it will preserve valuable evidence of the way in which this
group of sites interrelated as components of the medieval landscape.
Details
The monument includes a medieval moated site located adjacent to the North
Beck, approximately 400m north west of St Andrew's Church in Scredington.
The moated site at Hall Close is one of a group of five that existed in
Scredington within a 1.25km radius. The land holdings in this area during the
Middle Ages were characterised by a complex estate structure. In 1086 two
parcels of land were recorded, held by Robert of Stafford and Gilbert de Gant,
however, by the 13th century, the land was subdivided as grants of land were
made to the church. Further divisions took place in the following century when
the land was held by a number of prominent families. By the 15th century the
Pylets family were the principal landholders and are thought to have occupied
this site. Of the two land holdings recorded in 1086 one settlement centre was
probably established in Scredington and the other at Northbeck.
The monument lies on relatively low-lying ground which rises slightly to the
south, towards the present day centre of the village. The remains include a
moated platform, or island, adjacent to the beck, with a series of earthwork
remains of ditched enclosures lying to the east, south and west of the moat.
The moated site and surrounding enclosures cover an area measuring
approximately 320m by 250m and are thought to represent a manorial complex of
medieval origin.
The moated island takes the form of a rectangular platform, measuring 95m by
60m surrounded by a moat, 10m to 14m wide and now grass-filled on the eastern,
southern and western sides with a modern earthen causeway giving access to the
island over the southern moat arm. Water was formerly supplied by the North
Beck which has now been canalised immediately outside the monument to the
north. The northern arm of the moat was filled in during the canalisation of
the beck but survives as a buried feature.
Within the moated island, at the south west corner, are a series of low
earthworks, believed to represent a building platform. A roughly rectangular
pond, measuring 50m by 15m, and still water-filled, occupies the north eastern
portion of the island. A second, smaller circular pond lies to the west,
together with linear hollows at the north western corner of the island. The
ponds would have provided fish and fowl for the manor. The moated island is
believed to have been occupied by a manor house which formed the focus of the
complex.
The moat arms around the island are connected in turn to ditches which enclose
the plots lying to the east, south and west. To the west of the complex a
deep, wide ditch, with banks on either side, forms the western arm of the
water management system with some low earthworks lying to the west, beyond the
ditch. A short south-facing slope, with a ditch on its southern side, forms a
continuous east-west boundary across most of the site. This boundary is in
turn linked to the large embanked western ditch and is thought to define the
original limits of the manorial complex, within which service buildings,
paddocks and gardens associated with the manor house would have been located.
Further ditched enclosures, extending southwards from the principal complex,
are believed to be later in date.
All fences are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath them
is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
