Details

The monument includes the medieval moated site at Bassingthorpe Manor. In 1086
the land at Bassingthorpe was held by Ivo Taillebois. In 1545 the manor was
inherited by Thomas Coney from his father, and inventories of the period
indicate that a substantial house existed at the site. The manor house is
believed to have been moved from the moated island to its present postion,
north of the moat, during the 16th century. The remains of the moated site now
take the form of a series of earthworks and buried deposits.

The roughly rectangular moated island and external banks cover an area
measuring 130m by 110m. The wide moat, measuring up to 14m across and 2m deep,
encloses the island on west, south, and east sides and is part water-filled.
External banks, 5m to 12m in width, and in places up to 1m in height, line the
three moat arms. Internal banks line part of the moat and measure up to 6m
across and up to 0.75m high. The northern moat arm, partly infilled, is
visible as a hollow and survives as a buried feature lined by low banks on
both sides. On the southern moat arm there is a causeway and a gap in the
external bank which is thought to represent a recent access point to the
island.

Remains on the eastern half of the island represent the buried remains of
buildings associated with the earlier medieval manor house.

In the area of the present gardens and the buildings at the north west corner
of the monument, where landscaping and terracing has taken place, the line of
the moat is no longer visible and is not included in the scheduling.

All fences, walls, and standing buildings are excluded from the scheduling,
although the ground beneath them 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 at Bassingthorpe Manor survives well as a series of earthworks
and buried deposits. Waterlogging in the moat will preserve organic remains
(such as timber, leather, and seeds) which will give an insight into domestic
and economic activity on the site. In addition the banks around the moat will
preserve evidence of the land use prior to their construction.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Foster, C W, Longley, T, The Lincolnshire Domesday and the Lincolnshire Survey, (1976)
Other
NMR, 325397, (1998)
Title: Ordnance Survey 25" Map sheet 131.2
Source Date: 1904
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:

Source: Historic England