Details

The moated site at North Luffenham is rectangular in shape, and contains a
fishpond within the island. It is situated on low lying ground on the west
bank of Lyndon Brook, a tributary of the River Chater.
The site measures approximately 55 x 105m in overall dimensions and has a
ditch about 1m deep and between 8-10m wide. The western arm is waterlogged.
There is a prominent external bank on all sides. The island has an uneven
surface at its northern end considered to mark the remains of internal
buildings. The fishpond at the southern end of the island is oval in shape,
measuring 10m x 20m and 1m deep.
The North Luffenham moat is associated with Luffenham Hall and, as such, is
thought to be a late medieval construction.

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.

The moated site at North Luffenham is believed to belong to a later period
than most moats in Leicestershire. The occurrence of a fishpond within the
island is slightly unusual and suggests that the moat may have had
significance as a landscape garden feature.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Hartley, R F, The Medieval Earthworks of Rutland, (1983)

Source: Historic England