Details

The monument includes the buried and earthwork remains of the medieval moated
site 680m west of Manor Farm, Kersoe. It is located approximately 1km south of
the village of Elmley Castle, and approximately 575m east of Castle Hill which
is the subject of a separate scheduling.
It has been suggested that the moated site is a late medieval replacement for
a residence within the bailey of the castle which had been a holding of Guy de
Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick.
The site is semi-moated with a rectangular island measuring 60m by 40m. A
water-filled moat with an external bank defines the eastern, northern and
western sides of the island whilst to the south it is defined by a 1m high
bank. The moat arms measure up to 8m wide by 2m deep, and their external bank
measures up to 1m high by 2m wide.
The island appears largely undisturbed with building stone visible near the
south west corner.
All modern fencing is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath
it 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 680m west of Manor Farm, Kersoe survives as a largely
undisturbed and well-preserved example of a medieval moat. The apparently
undisturbed island will preserve evidence of former structures, including both
domestic and ancillary buildings and their associated occupation levels. These
remains will illustrate the nature of the site's use and the lifestyle of its
inhabitants and will facilitate dating of the construction and subsequent
periods of use of the moat.

The moat is expected to preserve earlier deposits including evidence of their
construction and any alterations, in addition to information such as pollen
and seeds which will provide evidence for the landscape in which it was set.

Source: Historic England