Details

The monument comprises a large island raised above the level of surrounding
fields known to have been subjected to flooding from the River Alt, and
surrounded on all sides by a partially waterlogged moat flanked by an
external bank. The B5422 cuts through the site dividing the moated site
into two separate areas. The N half consists of the N corner of the island
and waterlogged remains of the NE and NW arms of the moat. The N corner of
the moat extends into an arm about 10m long. A silted inlet/outlet channel
also runs N from the NE arm of the moat. The S half of the monument
consists of the dry remains of the SW and SE arms of the moat and a further
larger area of the enclosed island. The moat is partially infilled at its S
corner. Originally access to the island was gained via a drawbridge across
the SW arm that was revealed during limited excavations between 1956-61. A
stone-lined well exists on the island close to the SE arm of the moat. A
dry channel connects the E corner of the moat with a dry rectangular hollow
interpreted as a fishpond to the SE. Additionally 35m to the E of the moat
is a nucleated group of fishponds surviving as upstanding earthworks.
Sefton Old Hall was owned by the Molyneux family throughout its history and
the original house was thought to be in existence by 1372 at the latest.
The monument comprises three separate protected areas.
All field boundaries are excluded from the scheduling. The ground beneath
the field boundary SW of the monument, 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 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 and fishponds at Sefton Old Hall survive well despite
partial loss of the site due to road construction, and will retain
considerable evidence of the original form of the moat and buildings on the
island along with waterlogged remains from those areas of the moat still
wet. The adjacent nucleated fishponds are especially well preserved and
clearly indicate the complex construction techniques and water management
system associated with this monument type.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
The Manor of Sefton, (1769)
Baines, E, History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster, (1893), 229
Lewis, J, 'Journal of the Merseyside Arch Soc' in Sefton Old Hall, Merseyside, Excavations 1956-61, , Vol. 2, (1978), 54
Lewis, J, 'Journal of the Merseyside Arch Soc' in Sefton Old Hall, Merseyside, Excavations 1956-61, , Vol. 2, (1978), 69
Lewis, J, 'Journal of the Merseyside Arch Soc' in Sefton Old Hall, Merseyside, Excavations 1956-61, , Vol. 2, (1978), 68-9
Lewis, J, 'Journal of the Merseyside Arch Soc' in Sefton Old Hall, Merseyside, Excavations 1956-61, , Vol. 2, (1978), 58
Other
Darvill, T., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Moats, (1988)
Dennison, E., MPP Single Monument Class Descriptions - Fishponds, (1988)
Title: Tithe Map (1845)
Source Date: 1845
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
Ref Sefton Old Hall

Source: Historic England