Moated site 80m west of Cedars 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 80m west of Cedars Farm survives well. It is largely undisturbed and will retain buried evidence for structures and other features relating to the period of occupation. The buried silts in the base of the moat ditch will contain both artefacts relating to the period of occupation and environmental evidence for the appearance of the landscape in which the monument was set. The monument lies in an area where moated sites are relatively numerous, and further moated sites are situated approximately 3.6km to the north west at Little Horwood and 4km to the south east at Stewkley. Comparisons between the sites will provide valuable insights into developments into the nature of settlement and society in the medieval period.

Details

The monument includes a medieval moated site located immediately to the south west of Main Street in the village of Mursley and 80m west of Cedars Farm. The moated site includes a roughly 22m square island, which is raised by about 0.4m above the surrounding ground level. The island is surrounded by a steep sided dry ditch which measures approximately 1.6m deep and averages 8m in width on the north east, north west and south west sides. The south eastern arm, which measures about 16m in width, extends for a further 10m in a south westerly direction. Visible around the outside edge of the ditch on all four sides is an outer bank, approximately 4m wide and 0.4m high which is thought to represent upcast from the ditch. Shallow depressions on the north west side of the moat on the edge of the island and the outer edge of the ditch are believed to mark the site of a bridge. An 8m wide gap, cut through the external bank on the south east side of the moat, is thought to be comparatively modern, post-dating a mapped depiction of the monument from 1880.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

32107

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Title: 1st Edition 25" Ordnance Survey Map Source Date: 1880 Author: Publisher: Surveyor: XIX.12

End of official list entry

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