Details

The monument includes the remains of a medieval moated enclosure. The
enclosure is rectangular in shape and measures 100m. by 70m. It is
surrounded by a dry moat which is some 6m. across and is visible on all
but the south side where there is a scarp. A low bank runs along the
outer edge of the east moat arm and there is a silted up pond near the
SW corner of the moat. There is a rectangular platform in the southern
part of the moat island and limited excavations carried out in the SE
corner in the 1940's revealed part of the remains of a substantial
building believed to be the remains of Eastwick Hall. A hollow-way
running parallel with the southern arm of the moat extends for about
100m. At least three house platforms visible on either side of the
hollow-way belong to an ancillary settlement believed to be broadly
contemporary with the moat.

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 Eastwick rectangular moat is a fine example of a single island site,
surviving in very good condition and associated with a hollow-way, pond,
and external house platforms. Limited excavation has confirmed the
cluster of occupation of the enclosure and demonstrated the presence of
internal buildings. The moat is one of a pair of well-preserved moats at
Eastwick, the other is located some 150 m. to the west on the other side
of the valley.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
'TEHAS' in Re: Excavations At Moated Site South West Of Home Wood, (1940), 286

Source: Historic England