Details

The monument includes a moated site, orientated north-south, situated at the
top of a gentle slope. A moat, up to 6m wide and 1.5m deep, defines a
trapezoidal island, measuring 28m by 38m which is level with the prevailing
ground level. In the centre of the northern arm of the moat is a causeway
measuring 15m in width, believed to be an original entrance. There is no
visible evidence for any structures on the island, although they will survive
as buried features.
Although it is not known precisely when the moated site was constructed, it is
believed to have been built during the main period of moat building, between
1250 and 1350. Coarse pottery, thought to have been of medieval date, is
recorded from the island and ditch in 1939.

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 at Knight's Green survives well and is unencumbered by later
buildings. Buried deposits on the island are likely to include the remains of
medieval structures, and will contain archaeological information relating to
the construction and subsequent occupation and use of the moated site. Within
the moat waterlogged deposits may have preserved archaeological remains
relating to the occupation and use of the site, along with organic material
which will provide information about the economy of the site and the local
environment during the medieval period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Jones, J E G, Dymock Down the Ages, (1952), 80

Source: Historic England