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Description

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 moat 100m south of Stain Farm survive well as a series of earthworks and buried deposits. The island's artificially raised ground will preserve evidence of land use prior to the construction of the moat. Formerly associated with a medieval village and church, it contributes to an understanding of the inter-relationship of contemporary components of the medieval landscape. Details The monument includes a medieval moated site located 100m south of Stain Farm. In 1086 land at Stain was held by Earl Richard, and the moated site is believed to represent the site of the medieval manor house. The moated site takes the form of a rectangular island, which measures 70m by 40m, surrounded by a moat measuring 10m to 12m in width and approximately 1m deep. The eastern part of the island is raised up to 1m above the surrounding ground level; this area is believed to represent a building platform for the manor house. In the western part of the island is a large, roughly rectangular pond, approximately 30m by 10m and 1m in depth, thought to represent a fishpond. The ground to the west of the pond, at the edge of the island, is again raised above the surrounding ground level. The moated site was formerly associated with the remains of a medieval village and church at Stain which are no longer visible, and are not, therefore, included in the scheduling. Sources Books and journals Foster, C W, Longley, T, The Lincolnshire Domesday and the Lincolnshire Survey, (1976) Foster, C W, Longley, T, The Lincolnshire Domesday and the Lincolnshire Survey, (1976) Other NMR, 355665, (1998)

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