Details

The monument E of Upp Hall Farm comprises an oval moated site which, due to
modern field boundaries, appears to be five-sided. The site was that of the
old moated manor house, replaced by the present Upp Hall in the late 18th or
early 19th century.
The site consists of an oval island grassed over and raised at it's centre
some 1.3m above the rest of the interior. It possesses an internal bank
along its NE and N sides. The island is surrounded by a dry moat on its NW
and SW sides which expands in width to form a fishpond at the W corner. The
moat varies between 6 and 10m in width and has a maximum depth of 1.5m. The
moat was fed by a spring-fed stream which rises between the N and NE outer
banks of the site. This stream flows into a boggy area to the S of the
island which was formerly a fishpond. The N side of the moat has been
infilled. An outer bank exists along the SE, NE and N sides of the moat.
All fences and hedges are excluded from the scheduling, as is the wooden hen
cabin close to the E corner of the island. The ground beneath all these
features, however, 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 seigniorial 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 E of Upp Hall survives well, its earthworks being
clearly visible. It is unique in Lancashire as the only oval-shaped moated
site in the county, and as such illustrates well the diversity of form and
size in this class of monument. Lancashire lies beyond the `heartland' of
moated site distribution in England, and this example represents the most
northerly moated site in the country, thus also emphasising the geographical
range of this class of monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Moats, (1988)
Dennison, E., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Fishponds, (1988)
Lancs SMR, PRN 2733. N798.,
Lancs SMR, PRN 2733.,

Source: Historic England