Details

The monument includes a medieval moated site located immediately to the south
west of Main Street in the village of Mursley and 80m west of Cedars Farm.
The moated site includes a roughly 22m square island, which is raised by about
0.4m above the surrounding ground level. The island is surrounded by a steep
sided dry ditch which measures approximately 1.6m deep and averages 8m in
width on the north east, north west and south west sides. The south eastern
arm, which measures about 16m in width, extends for a further 10m in a south
westerly direction. Visible around the outside edge of the ditch on all four
sides is an outer bank, approximately 4m wide and 0.4m high which is thought
to represent upcast from the ditch. Shallow depressions on the north west side
of the moat on the edge of the island and the outer edge of the ditch are
believed to mark the site of a bridge. An 8m wide gap, cut through the
external bank on the south east side of the moat, is thought to be
comparatively modern, post-dating a mapped depiction of the monument from
1880.

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 80m west of Cedars Farm survives well. It is largely
undisturbed and will retain buried evidence for structures and other features
relating to the period of occupation. The buried silts in the base of the moat
ditch will contain both artefacts relating to the period of occupation and
environmental evidence for the appearance of the landscape in which the
monument was set.
The monument lies in an area where moated sites are relatively numerous, and
further moated sites are situated approximately 3.6km to the north west at
Little Horwood and 4km to the south east at Stewkley. Comparisons between the
sites will provide valuable insights into developments into the nature of
settlement and society in the medieval period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Title: 1st Edition 25" Ordnance Survey Map
Source Date: 1880
Author:
Publisher:
Surveyor:
XIX.12

Source: Historic England