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.
Details
The monument includes a moated site located about 220m to the west of the site
of Cranley Green. The moat, which ranges in width from approximately 4m on the
east side to 10m on the west and is water-filled, surrounds a rectangular
island with internal dimensions of about 92m north south by 44m. A shallow
depression approximately in the centre of the island marks the site of an
internal pond connected to the eastern arm of the moat by a short sluice
channel. The pond was probably used originally for the conservation of a stock
of fish for domestic consumption. To the north of it is a platform, slightly
raised above the level of the ground to the south, on which stands a house
which is a Listed Building Grade II, dated to the early 19th century. Access
to the island is provided by a causeway across the northern arm of the moat,
and there is a second causeway across the eastern arm, towards its northern
end, which is a modern feature, not shown on an estate map of 1840. The north
east corner of the moat has been enlarged externally to create a pond, but the
original line of the moat, which is deeper, is known to survive within it. The
pond is also not shown on the map of 1840 and was presumably made at a later
date.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
30597
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
