Details

The monument is situated in a relatively isolated context, immediately to the
west of St Giles' Church, and includes a moated site.

Packwood Hall moated site is rectangular in plan and has external dimensions
of approximately 111m north-south and up to 75m west-east. The arms of the
waterfilled moat have near vertical sides and average 12m wide. At the north
western corner of the site, the moat projects westwards as far as Glasshouse
Lane, parallel with the lane leading to the church. A 15m length of this
channel, closest to the moat, is waterfilled and is included in the
scheduling. The western part of this feature has been partly infilled and
modified for use as a drainage channel for the surrounding fields and is not
included in the scheduling.

Access onto the moated island is by means of bridges across the western and
eastern arms of the moat. Both bridges are constructed in brick and are
thought to date from the 19th century. The structures themselves are not
included in the scheduling, but their positions are believed to mark the
original means of access to the island. The bridge across the eastern moat
ditch provides direct access to the churchyard of St Giles' Church. The
church has medieval masonry within its fabric and is thought to have been
closely associated with the inhabitants of the moated site during the medieval
period.

The moated island measures approximately 84m north-south and 58m west-east and
has a relatively level surface. The northern part of the island is occupied by
the present Packwood Hall, a Grade II Listed Building, which dates from at
least the 17th century with later alterations. There are documentary records
for the manorial history of the site and the Prior of Coventry is known to
have owned a house at Packwood in 1410.

The present Packwood Hall, its associated outbuildings and the bridges across
the western and eastern arms of the moat are excluded from the scheduling, but
the ground beneath is included. All fence posts, the surfaces of all paths,
driveways and the tennis court, the flag-pole and the floodlights on the
moated island, and the electricity pole are also 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.

Packwood Hall moated site survives well and is largely unencumbered by modern
development. It is a good example of a medieval moated site which is located
in close proximity to the parish church and has a detailed manorial history.
Its documented association with the Prior of Coventry during the 15th century
clearly reflects the importance of the site at this time. The moated island
will retain structural and artefactual evidence for the house and buildings
which originally existed here. Additionally, organic material will be
preserved within the waterfilled moat ditches providing information for the
environment and economy of the site's inhabitants and the landscape in which
they lived.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
The Victoria History of the County of Warwickshire , (1949), 130
Belton, J, Packwood, (1951), 78-9
Other
RCHME, SP17SE 11, (1976)

Source: Historic England