Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of a medieval moated
site situated in an area of gently undulating land. It was constructed on
sloping ground that falls away to the east and south. The moat, which is now
dry, defines a rectangular island approximately 66m north west - south east by
72m south west - north east (maximum dimensions). With the exception of the
south western corner of the island, material excavated from the moat has been
used to raise the surface of the island by up to 1.3m above the level of the
surrounding ground, with a further increase in height towards the centre. The
arms of the moat are between 8m and 12m wide and have an average depth on
their outer sides of 1.6m. Access on to the island is by means of a causeway,
9m wide, situated at the south western corner of the site. A more recent
causeway has been constructed across the northern part of the northern western
arm in order to provide access to the adjacent field.
All fence and gate 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.

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 480m east of Yeaton Peverey Farm is a well-preserved example
of this class of monument. The moated island will retain buried structural and
artefactual evidence of the buildings that once stood on the site, which
together with the artefacts and organic remains existing in the moat will
provide valuable evidence about the occupation and social status of the
inhabitants of the site. Organic remains surviving in the buried ground
surface, under the raised interior and within the moat will also provide
information about the changes to the local environment and the use of the land
before and after the moated site was constructed.

Source: Historic England