Details

The monument is a medieval moated grange. It includes a sub-rectangular
island surrounded by a waterlogged moat and bisected by a waterlogged channel.
The northern section of the island is 60m long north-south and 30m wide
east-west. Its southern section is 20m long north-south and 30m wide
east-west; a channel 9m wide and 1.5m deep runs east-west between them. The
moat which defines the island is between 6m and 9m wide and is up to 1.5m
deep. The northern arm has been affected by later disturbance; a 50m section
toward its eastern end has been in-filled and the western end has been
enlarged to form a duckpond. Drains run from the north-western and
south-eastern corners of the moat. While these may be medieval in origin
post-medieval drainage works have so altered them as to make any secure dating
difficult. Aerial photographs show remains to the north and south of the
monument which are thought to be enclosures and drainage works associated with
the moated site although they do not survive well enough to be positively
identified and are not included in the scheduling.
An earthen bank survives immediately outside the southern arm of the moat.
It is 100m long, 0.3m high and 5m wide.
The monument is known to have been a grange of Meaux Abbey before 1172.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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.

Despite cleaning and limited redigging of the moat, the moated site at Moor
Grange survives reasonably well and will retain evidence of the buildings
originally located on the island. The site has also been identified as a
monastic grange. Such sites were fairly numerous in the medieval period but
only a small number can now be positively identified on the ground. This
example will contribute to the study of the economy of its parent house, Meaux
Abbey.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Allison, KJ, The East Riding of Yorkshire Landscape, (1976), 75
Bulmer, T, History and Directory of East Yorkshire, (1892), 106
Le Patourel, H E J, Moated site of Yorkshire, (1973), 114
Platt, C, The Moated Grange in Medieval England, (1969), 59
Other
RAF CPE/UK 1834/3264-5, (1946)

Source: Historic England