Details

The monument includes the known extent of a moated site situated on low lying
ground approximately 2km south east of the centre of Gloucester. It includes a
sub-rectangular moat enclosing an island which measures 66m by 42m, and which
may originally have been as large as 66m by 80m, orientated north-south. The
moat is 14m wide at its widest point, 8m at its narrowest and up to 1.5m deep.
Cropmarks on aerial photographs indicate that the east arm of the moat
formerly extended a further 42m south and incorporated a causeway in the
centre of the arm. Earthworks on the island indicate that the foundations of
structures survive as buried features. The date at which the moated site
was constructed is not clear, although it is likely to have been built during
the main period of moat building, between 1250 and 1350.

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 at Sneedham's Green, 220m north east of Green Farm survives
well and is unencumbered by later buildings. Buried deposits on the island
will include the remains of medieval structures, and will contain
archaeological information relating to the construction and subsequent use of
the moated site. Within the moat, waterlogged deposits will preserve
archaeological remains relating to the occupation and use of the site, along
with organic material, which will provide information about the economy of the
site and the local environment during the medieval period.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Saville, A, Archaeological sites in the Avon and Gloucestershire Cotswolds, (1980), 20-32

Source: Historic England