Details

The monument includes a moated platform and a small fishpond to the north east
of New Hall Farm. The estate on which this moated site was built was in the
hands of the Thornton family in the 14th century. The house which stood on the
moated platform is specifically referred to in 1580 and 1581 as `The Peyle'
and `Peyle House' when it belonged to one William Hough. The field to the east
of the moat is still known as Peel Hey. This house was probably abandoned when
New Hall was built in about 1670. There are traces of dressed stone on the
site which suggest the house was a substantial building.
The moated platform is trapezoidal and measures 30m long by 25m wide at the
northern end and 15m wide at the southern end. It is surrounded by a
waterfilled ditch 15m wide on all sides. The fishpond lies just beyond the
moat on the west side and is roughly circular with a diameter of 26m. The
bank which separates the moat from the pond is about 0.7m wide at the top.
Telegraph poles on the lip of the water features on the south east corner and
north west side 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.
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 400m north east of New Hall Farm survives well. The platform
has been disturbed by a poorly recorded excavation in 1995 but trenches were
small and not deeply dug. The waterfilled moat will retain remains of from the
period of occupation as well as organic and biological evidence for the
farming regime and landscape around the moat in the medieval period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Merseyside SMR, (1993)

Source: Historic England