Details

The monument at Brockhold Farm includes a triangular-shaped moated site
situated on the banks of Toppersfield Brook 1km east of Cornish Hall End
church. The moated site measures a maximum of 100m north-south by 110m east-
west. The southern and western arms are seasonally waterfilled and are
approximately 4m wide and 0.5m to 1.2m deep. The northern part of the western
arm has been filled in recent years but is preserved as a buried feature. The
northern arm is formed by a small stream. A causeway, 4m wide, over a modern
brick culvert gives access to the island across the southern arm. To the
north, a bridge over the stream provides a second access to the island. A 17th
century farmhouse occupied the island until 1929 when it was burnt down. A
small cart shed, which was once part of the farm buildings, now occupies the
northern part of the island.
The site is that associated with the family of Geoffrey Brokenhole in 1398.
The culvert, bridge and cart shed are excluded from the scheduling although
the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

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.

Brockhold Farm moated site is well preserved and will retain archaeological
information relating to the construction and occupation of the site. The
waterlogged ditches will retain environmental evidence relating to the economy
of its inhabitants and the landscape in which they lived. The unusual layout
of the site, with the use of the stream to form one of the arms and to supply
the moat with water, is of additional interest.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Reaney, PH, Place names of Essex, (1935), 427-428

Source: Historic England