Moated site 480m east of Yeaton Peverey 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 480m east of Yeaton Peverey Farm is a well-preserved example of this class of monument. The moated island will retain buried structural and artefactual evidence of the buildings that once stood on the site, which together with the artefacts and organic remains existing in the moat will provide valuable evidence about the occupation and social status of the inhabitants of the site. Organic remains surviving in the buried ground surface, under the raised interior and within the moat will also provide information about the changes to the local environment and the use of the land before and after the moated site was constructed.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated site situated in an area of gently undulating land. It was constructed on sloping ground that falls away to the east and south. The moat, which is now dry, defines a rectangular island approximately 66m north west - south east by 72m south west - north east (maximum dimensions). With the exception of the south western corner of the island, material excavated from the moat has been used to raise the surface of the island by up to 1.3m above the level of the surrounding ground, with a further increase in height towards the centre. The arms of the moat are between 8m and 12m wide and have an average depth on their outer sides of 1.6m. Access on to the island is by means of a causeway, 9m wide, situated at the south western corner of the site. A more recent causeway has been constructed across the northern part of the northern western arm in order to provide access to the adjacent field. All fence and gate posts 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

33818

Legacy System:

RSM

End of official list entry

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