Details

The monument includes a moated site on low-lying ground, at Bellamys Farm. The
rectangular moat encloses an island measuring 42m by 38m, orientated north-
south. The moat is 10m wide at its widest point, up to 3m deep and is
waterfilled. A series of modern buildings stand in the north east corner of
the island extending to the south. There is no evidence for an original
causeway across the moat, but a stone-built bridge crosses the centre
of the northern arm.
The moated site is believed to have taken its name from the Bellamy family who
appear in the Dymock manor rolls of the 14th and 15th centuries.
A number of features are excluded from the scheduling; these are the modern
farmhouse and all other modern structures on the island, the gravel surface of
the drive and parking area, all terraces, the walls and stone surfaces of the
sunken gardens, the surface of the tennis court to the south east of the moat,
the stone bridge across the northern arm of the moat and the wooden footbridge
across the western arm, all stone and brick walls, wooden fences and gates;
the ground beneath all these features is, however, 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 at Bellamys Farm survives well, despite the presence of 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 will 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), 149

Source: Historic England