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 medieval moated site 160m north east of The Hall survives well and will
retain valuable archaeological features and deposits, including the remains of
the principal house and associated structures, preserved beneath the present
ground surface. These, together with artefactual remains, will provide
evidence for the site's construction, period of occupation, and adaptation and
for the status and lifestyles of the inhabitants. Environmental deposits
preserved in the silts of the moat may illustrate the nature of the landscape
in which the monument was set.
Details
The monument includes a medieval moated site situated 160m north east of The
Hall in the village of Burrough Green. The eastern corner of the moat ditch,
together with a small portion of the south eastern moat arm and adjacent area
of the island, have been largely removed by the construction of a school
building and are, therefore, not included in the scheduling.
The site is associated with the manor of Burgh or Burrough, of which the
earliest manor house is thought to have been in Park Wood to the south of the
village. A later house known as The Hall, a Grade II Listed Building lying
160m south west of the scheduled area, was built in about 1575; the moated
site may, therefore, represent the location either of the manor house in the
intervening period, or of a subsidiary dwelling. The manor takes its name from
Thomas de Burgh who was granted it by the honour of Richmond during the
12th century. The property passed by marriage to the Ingoldsthorpes in the
15th century and then to Lord Scrope of Masham. It was sold in 1574 to Sir
Anthony Cage, who probably built The Hall, and was in the hands of the
Slingsby family about a century later.
A substantial moat ditch up to 17m wide surrounds a rectangular island
measuring approximately 95m north west to south east by 64m north east to
south west. No structural remains are visible, but evidence for a principal
house and ancillary buildings such as stables and stores will survive beneath
the present ground surface. Towards the western corner a small concreted area
is thought to represent the infilled site of a former air raid shelter.
Only the north western arm of the moat and the northern half of the north
eastern arm remain open, the former still retaining water. Elsewhere the
ditch has been infilled, although it will survive as a buried feature. To the
south east, its line is visible in places as a slight depression in the ground
and as a cropmark (an area of enhanced crop growth resulting from higher
levels of moisture retained by the underlying archaeological features).
A low bank follows the inner edge of the northern half of the north eastern
moat arm and both bank and ditch are broken by a causeway. An opposing
causeway also existed across the south western ditch arm. These causeways,
which are oriented towards St Augustine's Church to the south west and the
village to the north east, may represent original points of access to the
island.
Cartographic evidence shows that a track formerly ran across the island
between the two causeways. Crossing the north eastern causeway, it continued
as far as the main road through the village. This track is no longer visible
on the island although it is expected to survive as a buried feature. Beyond
the moat it has been obscured by a modern housing development. At the point of
the north eastern causeway, the track intersected with a further track or
hollow way, which ran from The Hall to the southern corner of the moat and
around its south eastern and north eastern sides before turning west in the
direction of Burrough End. It is thought that the trackway across the island
is probably contemporary with the moated site. Sections of the second trackway
are clearly associated with The Hall and thus cannot have been in existence
before the 16th century, but it is thought that those sections closest to the
moat may be medieval in origin. A section of the second trackway survives
alongside the northern section of the north eastern moat arm and is included
in the scheduling.
Following its period of occupation the moated site was adapted for use as a
garden feature associated with The Hall, and was laid out as an orchard.
Remnants of the planting layout still survive towards the centre of the
island.
All fences, fence posts, gates, remains of the air raid shelter, playing field
equipment and furniture, the temporary classroom building and modern made up
surfaces are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these
features is included. The school building and its immediately adjacent
pathways together with the car parking area are not included in the
scheduling.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
