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 earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated site
and parts of the surrounding medieval agricultural system. The monument is
located 3km to the south east of Whitby and occupies fields to the east and
south of Manor House Farm and to the west of Low Laithes Farm.
Little is currently known of the history of the moated site. It lies within
the manor of Hawsker and was part of the Liberty of Whitby, which was held by
the Abbey until the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. After this the
manor passed to the Cholmley family. Moated sites such as these were usually
occupied by high status families and probably supported one of the more
prestigious dwellings in the area.
The moated site lies in the eastern part of the monument. It has a steep sided
ditch enclosing three sides of a central platform. The fourth, western side of
the moat has been infilled and now lies beneath the current farm buildings.
The encircling ditch is 2.5m deep and 4m wide along the sides widening out
at the corners. The central platform measures at least 50m across. Access to
the central area would have been via a causeway but the location of this is
not currently known. Water was fed into the ditch at the north eastern corner
from a stream which passes along the northern side of the moat.
To the west of Low Laithes Farm there are remains of further earthworks. These
have been interpreted as the remains of gardens including features such as
ponds. Aerial photographs taken in 1968 show clearly the detail of these
remains. Subsequent landscaping has reduced these earthworks but traces can
still be seen and taken with the aerial photographs demonstrate how the land
was used in the medieval period. To the south west of the moated site there is
a substantial linear bank with an adjacent ditch on the northern side. The
bank is 5m wide and up to 1.75m high. The ditch is 5m wide and has been partly
infilled and now survives as a depression up to 0.5m deep. The bank and ditch
extends westwards for 90m. It is not currently clear what the function of this
feature was although it may be a linear fishpond taking water from the moat to
the east. To the south of this bank are clear remains of the medieval field
system in the form of ridge and furrow earthworks. These include a broad area
of rounded parallel ridges up to 4m wide and 0.30m high which are separated by
furrows up to 3m wide. The ridge and furrow is orientated east to west.
A number of features are excluded from the monument. These are; all fences,
gates, walls, the surface of tracks, the caravan park facilities and the
garden pond, although the ground beneath these features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
34822
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
