Details

The monument includes a medieval moated site located immediately west of Hall
Farm. Prior to the Domesday Survey the land at South Reston belonged to Ailsi
and subsequently to the Norman lord, Ansgot of Burwell. The moated site is the
only surviving part of a larger complex which formerly included enclosures and
medieval ridge and furrow cultivation.

The island is subrectangular in plan, measuring 50m by 30m, and is enclosed by
a water-filled moat. The island is slightly raised above the surrounding
ground level and would have accommodated buildings such as a manor house and
ancillary domestic buildings. A shallow linear hollow, crossing the island
approximately halfway along its length, is thought to represent a subdivision,
separating the house from a yard or paddock. The moat measures 12m to 14m in
width and up to 1.5m deep with a slight internal bank at the northern and
eastern corners.

The brick and wood footbridge at the southern corner of the moat and all fence
posts 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 immediately west of Hall Farm survives well as a series of
earthworks and buried deposits. They have been little altered since medieval
times indicating that archaeological remains are likely to survive. The
artificially raised ground will preserve evidence of land use prior to
construction of the moat. In addition, waterlogging in the moat will preserve
organic remains such as timber, leather and seeds, which will provide valuable
information about domestic and economic activity on the site.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Foster, C W, Longley, T, The Lincolnshire Domesday and the Lincolnshire Survey, (1976)
Pevsner, N, Harris, J, Antram, N, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, (1989)
Start, D, Hall, C, Lincolnshire's Heritage, (1996), 57
Owen, A E B, 'Lincolnshire History and Archaeology' in Castle Carlton: The Origins Of A Medieval New Town, , Vol. 27, (1992), 17-22

Source: Historic England