Details

The monument is a moated site that includes an island surrounded by a dry
moat. The grassy island lies in pasture and measures c.43m x 36m. Earthwork
features are visible on the island and include an L-shaped bank 0.1m high in
the N half and a raised platform in the SE quadrant. The surrounding moat
averages c.8m wide x 0.3m deep on three sides but is shallower and less
conspicuous on the north. A low outer bank c.5m wide flanks the W arm. Access
to the island was by a causeway across the mid-point of the W arm. A barn and
adjoining wall have been erected on the extreme NE corner of the moat and
island.
Other earthworks, presently imprecisely understood and hence not included in
this scheduling , lie E of the moated site. The barn and wall to the immediate
NE of the moat impinge upon the monument slightly. These features are excluded
from the scheduling.

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.

Despite some levelling of the monument's profile the site remains in good
condition and is largely unencumbered by modern development. Surface features
on the island indicate the existence of structural foundations associated with
the occupation and use of the monument.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
AP No. N1230, Lancs SMR, Holden Green, (1988)
Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Moats, (1988)
Mr Fawcett (site tenant), (1991)
SMR No 1527, Lancs SMR, Holden Green, (1988)

Source: Historic England