Details

The monument includes the known extent of the buried and earthwork remains of
a manorial moated site of medieval date at Manor Farm. The site is located on
level ground approximately 500m south east of a low ridge. The monument is a
regular double moat enclosing two islands and oriented north to south. It is
documented as being the site of a manorial chapel. Only a portion of the moat
remains as a water-filled earthwork feature. The southern arm is recorded as a
dry earthwork feature approximately 16m wide on early Ordnance Survey mapping.
This is now unfilled but will survive as a buried feature. The southern island
is thought to measure approximately 40m by 60m.

The visible earthwork moat is `T' shaped and consists of a 107m long by 8m
wide ditch oriented north to south forming the western arm, running from this
arm's midpoint for 60m to the east is a further arm which forms part of the
`T' shape. It is believed that the north arm of the northern moat would
have followed the line of a modern drain. At the southern end of the western
arm is situated a two arched bridge of brick and stone, a modern timber bridge
is located a few metres to the north. Both of these bridges are excluded from
the scheduling, although the ground beneath them is included.

The area which would originally have constituted the northern island is cut by
the modern road. It is now overgrown but believed to be undisturbed.

There is no evidence of the eastern arm of either the northern or southern
islands and of the southern moat arm, although it is expected past infilling
will have preserved evidence for their construction and the earliest phases of
use, in addition to preserving environmental evidence.

A section of western arm has been adapted to serve as a swimming pool to the
south of the surviving earthwork moat.

The southern island is occupied by the present Manor Farm House, a timber
framed building with modern alterations and extensions, and a number of
ancillary buildings. Manor Farm House is a Listed Building Grade II.

Manor Farm, all modern fencing and surfaces, the bridges, the swimming pool
and all ancillary buildings, including that with a stone basement, 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.

Despite partial infilling and some disturbance the moated site at Manor Farm
survives as a reasonably well preserved example of a large monument of its
class. The size of the site and the references to a manorial chapel are
unusual. The remains of earlier structures are expected to survive below
ground.

These remains will be expected to preserve evidence of former structures,
including both domestic and ancillary buildings, the manorial chapel, and
their associated occupation levels. These remains will help illustrate the
nature of use of the site and the lifestyle of its inhabitants in addition to
providing evidence for the date of construction and any subsequent periods of
use of the moat.

The moat ditch will preserve deposits relating to its construction and any
alterations during its active history. The waterlogged condition of the moat
will preserve environmental information about the ecosystem and landscape in
which it was set.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Moger, O, The Victoria History of the County of Worcestershire, (1908), 319
Other
Bond, C.J., Provisional List of Moats in Worcestershire, (1972)

Source: Historic England