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Description

The monument includes the remains of a medieval moated site at Halstead Hall. A series of earthworks defines a sub-rectangular moat up to 10m in width and a maximum of 2.5m in depth. The north western side of the moat is approximately 82m in length and includes a central earthen causeway up to 7m in width which is considered to represent the original access to the island. The north eastern side of the moat is approximately 75m in length and includes the remains of rectangular brick-bonded foundations approximately 1.5m by 2m on either bank. These are considered to represent modern features possibly marking the location of a narrow footbridge across the moat. The south eastern side of the moat is up to 67m in length and the south western length approximately 70m. A linear bank approximately 57m in length, 5m in width and up to 1.5m in height which is parallel with but slightly beyond the south western side of the moat is believed to include the remains of a bank of medieval date which has been overlain by spoil taken from the moat in modern times. Excavations between 1980 and 1984 recovered material suggesting a date of about 1290 for the initial phase of moat construction. The earliest documentary reference to the site is a deed witnessed by Lord Theobald of Halstead in 1281. The hall itself is believed to have been built by a member of the Welby family, a reference to the property being made in the will of Richard Welby dated to 1465. The interior of the moated site is occupied by the present Halstead Hall, a Grade I Listed Building which is excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath it is included. Dated externally to the late 15th or early 16th century, this building is thought to represent the sole surviving wing of a much more extensive structure originally covering much of the island. Part excavation has revealed that an earlier building within the moat was probably of the three-sided courtyard type. All standing buildings, fences and modern surfacing are excluded from the scheduling although the ground beneath them is included. Reasons for Designation 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 remains of the moated site at Halstead Hall survive particularly well in the form of a series of substantial earthworks. Although the monument has been partly excavated a significant percentage remains undisturbed with the result that preservation of buried deposits will be good. In addition the waterlogged nature of the eastern and western stretches of the moat indicate a high level of survival for organic remains. As a result of the survival of historical documentation relating to the site, the remains are quite well understood and contribute to our knowledge about the development and utilization of manorial moated sites.

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