Spridlington Moated Manor

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 seignurial 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 1250 and 1350 and bar 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 or organic remains. The medieval moated site at Spridlington exhibits a variety of features including the remains of internal structures, a complete moat and associated water management features, ponds and enclosures and the relationship between them is preserved. The remains survive well as earthworks and buried deposits and there is a potential for the survival of organic remains in the moat and ponds. The site has never been excavated, but a detailed earthwork survey by the RCHME has enhanced our understanding of the monument.

Details

The monument includes a group of earthworks lying approximately 100m to the west of the Church of St Hilary, a grade II listed building at the heart of the village. The remains lie to the south of Church Hill, and comprise a moated platform with surrounding earthworks representing the remains of water management systems, trackways and enclosures. Traces of at least one rectangular building on the platform are visible and there is documentary evidence for an extant building on the site as late as 1775. To the south, the earthworks are bounded by a drain with a bank which links to a hollow-way to the east. Documentary evidence suggests that there were two distinct settlements at Spridlington in the early medieval period which were united in 1417. Two manors are noted in the Domesday Book of 1086 and the monument is thought to incorporate the remains of the former south manor of the village, which was held by Sir John Chaumont in the C14. Both the north and south manors saw significant decline in population and wealth throughout the medieval period. The moated platform is rectangular and measures approximately 25m by 45m. It stands about 1m above the earthwork remains of the filled moat which measures up to 10m in width at its top and surrounds the platform on all four sides. Parallel along the inside of the north arm of the platform is a linear bank, curving at its eastern extent. Part of a bank is parallel with the southern arm at the western end. These features are considered to represent the remains of the building located on the platform. To the east, west, south and north are earthworks representing channels and ponds associated with the water management system for the moat. A filled pond to the west channelled water into the north-west corner of the moat. Additional channels lead into the moat from the west and east, the latter leading to an oblong depression considered to represent a fishpond. Outlets at the south-east and south-west corners of the moat have been partially obscured by the drain at the southern boundary of the monument. Further to the north of the moat is an enclosure measuring approximately 85m x 35m surrounded by a linear bank on all sides. The entrance to the enclosure is on the western arm and is directly accessed from the banked trackway leading into the monument from near to its north-west corner. Another banked enclosure of `L' shaped plan lies to the south and west of the platform and measures approximately 80m x 40m. It contains curvilinear features likely to represent animal enclosures. The enclosures, and other earthworks described, are associated with the moated manor site and are all included in the scheduling. All fences and modern drainage channels are excluded from the scheduling, but 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:

36353

Legacy System:

RSM

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