Moated site and associated ridge and furrow cultivation remains, 145m south of St Mary Magdalene's Church

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 145m south of St Mary Magdalene's Church is a well-preserved example of this class of monument. The moated island will retain buried evidence of the buildings that once stood on the site, which together with the associated artefacts and organic remains will provide valuable evidence about the occupation and social status of the inhabitants of the site. Organic remains surviving within the moat will provide information about the changes to the local environment and the use of the land after the moated site was constructed. The importance of the site is further enhanced by medieval and later documentary references, which provide ownership information.

The relationship between the moated site and the ridge and furrow remains demonstrates the nature of agricultural practices in the area following the establishment of the moated site.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated site and associated ridge and furrow cultivation remains, situated within the village of Hadnall.

The earliest known documentary reference to the moated site is in 1327 when a Commission was appointed to hear and determine a trespass committed against Hugh de Chenyney, after thieves broke into his house at `Hadenhale'. In 1429-30 the house is recorded as being occupied by Thomas Banaster and it continued as the Banaster family residence for some considerable time. In the early 18th century the large timber-framed house that existed here fell into decay.

The moated site is situated on level ground to the south of the Church of St Mary Magdalene, a former chapel of ease and now a parish church, dating to the late 12th century, which was enlarged and altered in subsequent centuries. The water-filled moat defines a rectangular island approximately 44m east-west by 55m north-south. The arms of the moat are between 8m and 12m wide, and a 6m wide causeway, partly surfaced with stone, crosses the middle of the western arm and provides access to the island.

To the north and west of the moated site are the remains of broad cultivation strips (ridge and furrow), aligned north-south, that formed part of a medieval open field system. As these cultivation remains respect the moated site it would appear that they are both contemporary. A sample of the ridge and furrow, 40m long and 90m wide, is included in the scheduling in order to preserve the relationship between these remains and the moated site.

All fences and gate posts, utility poles, and the remains of a modern cast iron footbridge which crosses the northern end of the eastern moat arm 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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

33826

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Blakeway, J B, The History of Shrewsbury Hundred or Liberties, (1897), 228

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