Moated site and section of hollow way 200m south west of St Michael's Church, Stewkley

Summary

A medieval moat, including its island and ditches, and a section of hollow way which runs beside it immediately to the north west.

Reasons for Designation

The moated site and hollow way at Stewkley are scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: the hollow way, island and moat survive well with the moat retaining water on three sides;
* Potential: the largely undisturbed island and the likelihood of water-logged deposits indicate the site has potential to retain an especially good range of artefactual and environmental evidence;
* Group Value: the close relationship between the moated site and the medieval hollow way provides a context to the moat in its medieval landscape.

History

There are about 6,000 known moated sites in England. They consist of wide ditches often water-filled and enclosing one or more islands 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 lie 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 in aiding understanding of the distribution of wealth and status in the countryside. Many examples provide conditions favourable to the survival of organic remains.

C19 estate documents and enclosure award maps relating to the history of the moat at Stewkley show it to have been held by the church. On the Enclosure Award Commissioners' working map of 1811 the moat is shown lying in a meadow called the Glebe; on the 1814 Enclosure Award map this land is held by William, Lord Bishop of Oxford and his lessees. A plan of the Manor, Dean and Tithe Farms, dated 1857, names the field Great Tithe Close. The land within which the moat lies now belongs to Tythe House, carrying the memory of its long association with the church into the present.

Most new roads dating from the post-Roman period to the C18 were merely heavily used trackways. Apart from a few town streets, bridge approaches and causeways they were not metalled. They tend to follow the natural contours of the land and avoid existing boundaries. When a road was obstructed or impassable, travellers had the right (enshrined in the Statute of Winchester of 1285) to diverge from its course, causing multiple hollow-ways running alongside each other to be created. Prior to enclosure, roads were often not restricted by walls or hedges and so tended to be wide, consisting of large numbers of roughly parallel hollow-ways spreading out across broad swathes of the countryside. Except where they cross moors or other unenclosed areas, the lines of medieval roads are now reduced and confined by later boundaries. They are widely distributed throughout England, converging at major medieval towns and are most densely concentrated in the south of England.

The hollow-way adjacent to the north west of the moated site at Stewkley links St Michael’s Church to the scheduled medieval settlement of Lidcote 2.5km to the south west of the moated site.

Details

The monument includes a medieval moated site set in the slope of Nuneham Hill Field overlooking a stream, a minor tributary of the River Thames, which lies at the bottom of the hill. A hollow-way runs beside the moat on its north-west side, a continuation of the side road, now a cul-de-sac, which turns south-west off the main road through the village. A footpath now follows the route of the hollow way, but slightly to one side, hugging the field boundary. This footpath crosses the stream and carries on up the other side of the valley, connecting Stewkley and St Michael's Church (listed Grade I) with Littlecote 2.5km to the south west, where the deserted medieval village of Lidcote is situated (a Scheduled Monument, National Heritage List for England 1018008). A section of the hollow-way most closely related to the moat is included within the scheduling to preserve the association between the two.

The moat measures about 38m north-west to south-east and 38m north-east to south-west, from outer bank to outer bank. On the south-west side there is an outer bank 8.7m wide, and 2m high, measured upwards from the downslope. The north-east arm of the moat is the widest, at about 10m. The other arms are about 8m wide; all contain water, with the exception of the east corner. The moat is 3m deep on the east side and 2m deep on the west. Access to the island is over an arched stone bridge (which is not included in the scheduling) centrally placed across the north-east arm. Stone blocks, some decoratively carved, line a path which descends the steep bank to the bridge. The moat has been used as an element in a later ornamental garden landscape.

The hollow-way to the north-west is between 0.75m and 1m deep and about 5m across. At a point about half-way along the moat's north-west side the hollow-way has been filled in to form a causeway from the outer bank of the moat to a modern track which runs along the far side of the hollow-way.

Extent of Scheduling

The scheduling is intended to provide protection for the moat, its island and ditches, and for the section of hollow way which runs beside it immediately to the north west.

The scheduling boundary encloses an area of about 50m north east-south west by 53m north west-south east, bounded on the south east by the fence separating the moat from the properties in Tythe Gardens, which runs along the top of the outer bank of the south east arm. The north east boundary follows the line of iron railings that run along the top of the bank here, crossing over the hollow way to the north west before turning south west to follow its outer edge down to the western corner of the scheduled area. The south western boundary follows the fence line which lies at the bottom of the outer bank, and separates the pasture field to the south west from the moat.

The bridge is excluded from the scheduling, as are all railings, gates, fences and fence posts and building materials in the hollow way, although the ground beneath them is included.

Sources

Other
Title: Inclosure working Map IR/110 aT Source Date: 1811 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

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