Details

The monument is situated approximately 270m south east of Middleton Farm on
the gentle upper western slopes of the Tame Valley. It includes a double
island moated site and part of an associated water management system.
The moated site is rectangular in plan and measures approximately 102m
north-south and up to 73m west-east. The moat arms are partly waterfilled for
much of the year and average 12m in width and 2m in depth. An external bank,
between 7m and 10m wide, is visible alongside the southern arm of the moat and
is included in the scheduling. From the south western corner of the moated
site, the western moat arm extends southwards for a further 50m and then turns
eastwards and widens out to form what has been identified as a small pond, 20m
in length. There is a shallow channel, approximately 1m wide, running
north-south between the pond feature and the southern arm of the moat;
although it does not connect with the moated site, it is thought to represent
part of the site's water management system and originally supplied water for
the moat. An outlet channel is visible at the north eastern corner of the
site. It has been modified, but its western end, where it connects with the
moat, is included in the scheduling.
The two moated islands are aligned north-south and are divided from each other
by a waterfilled ditch which links the western and eastern arms of the moat. A
causeway provides access between the islands. Although these two islands are
similar in size, they are slightly different in plan; the northern island has
an almost square plan, while the southern one is rectangular. Both islands
have relatively level surfaces.
All fence posts 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.

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 to the south east of Middleton Farm is a rare Warwickshire
example of a medieval moated site which has two islands and it illustrates
well the diversity in form of this class of monument. It is unencumbered by
modern development and has never been excavated. The remains therefore survive
well both as earthworks and below-ground remains. The moated islands will
retain structural and artefactual evidence for the house and buildings which
originally existed here; allowing an insight into the activities which took
place on each island. Additionally, organic deposits will be preserved within
the partly waterfilled moat ditches providing information on the economy of
the site's inhabitants and the environment in which they lived.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
RCHME, SP 19 NE 2, (1988)

Source: Historic England