Details

The monument includes a moated site situated approximately 130m north east of
Manor Farm on the eastern side of the village of Old Hurst. It is believed to
represent the remains of a moated homestead of medieval origin.

The moated site is rectangular in plan and aligned north west to south east.
The moat, which varies between 5m and 8m in width, encloses a rectangular
island approximately 38m long and 16m wide within which the buried remains of
a house and associated outbuildings are thought to be located. Part of the
south eastern arm of the moat was infilled in the mid-20th century to create a
causeway across which the moated island is now approached; earlier access was
over a bridge formerly situated near the northern end of the south western
arm. Extending from the north western arm of the moat is a pond, roughly oval
in shape, measuring 10m by 15m, which may represent a post-medieval alteration
to the moated site.

All fences, gates and sheds 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 130m north east of Manor Farm survives well as a substantial
earthwork with associated archaeological deposits. The island is believed to
preserve the buried remains of a medieval house with associated outbuildings,
and waterlogging in the area of the moat will preserve organic material such
as wood, leather and environmental remains which will provide evidence for
domestic and agricultural activity on the site, as well as ecological
information about the landscape within which the moated site was set.

Source: Historic England