Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated
site, with associated ridge and furrow cultivation remains and a building
platform. The moated site is situated on level ground overlooking the flood
plain of the River Roden. The moat retains water, notably within the western
and southern arms, and defines a sub-rectangular island which measures
approximately 48m by 100m.

The moat arms are between 10m and 12m wide and are about 1.6m deep. Access
onto the island is via a 6m wide causeway situated at the southern end of the
eastern arm. There are a series of slight undulations on the island, some of
which may relate to the positions of former buildings. Surrounding the moated
site on its northern and western sides are the remains of broad cultivation
strips - ridge and furrow - orientated east-west, which formed part of a
medieval open field. The cultivation remains are clearly earlier than the
moated site as it is truncated by it, and a 145m long sample area of this
cultivation system is included in the scheduling to preseve this relationship.

Immediately adjacent to the north eastern corner of the moated site are the
earthwork remains of a building platform, aligned north-south, approximately
85m long and defined on its eastern side by a scarp up to 0.7m high. A modern
farm track has obscured the western side of the platform and its relationship
with the field system. The low banks existing on the southern part of the
platform are likely to be the remains of walls and the size of the platform
suggests that it was used as a base for agricultural or domestic structures.

The farm track and cattle grid, all fence and gate posts, electricty and
telegraph poles are excluded from the scheduling although, the ground beneath
these features 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.

The moated site immediately north of Lower Grounds is a well-preserved example
of this class of monument. The moated island will retain buried evidence of
the buildings that once stood on the site, which together with the associated
artefacts and organic remains will provide valuable evidence about the
occupation and social status of the inhabitants. Organic remains surviving
within the moat will also provide information about the changes to the local
environment and the use of the land after the moated site was constructed. The
truncation of the field system by the construction of the moated site provides
a valuable insight into the changing use of land in this part of Shropshire
during the medieval period. Buried structural, artefactual and organic remains
preserved on the adjacent building platform will provide information about the
nature and length of use of the buildings constructed here in relation to
those that occupied the moated island.

Source: Historic England