THE MOATED MANOR KNOWN AS OLD HALL MAY BE THE 'MANOR CALLED LE NORTHALL' DOCUMENTED IN 1388. THE MOAT IS DEPICTED AS A COMPLETE REGULAR RECTANGLE ON EARLY ESTATE MAPS: ITS FRAGMENTATION INTO A SERIES OF PONDS CAN BE TRACED ON LATER MAPS. THE SITE WAS NEWLY DREDGED AND REMODELLED IN LANDSCAPING IN 1976. THE BUILDING WITHIN THE MOAT IS A TIMBER-FRAMED STRUCTURE, PERHAPS OF LATER MEDIEVAL DATE. FIELD AND FURLONG NAMES ADJACENT TO THE SITE INCLUDE 'CONEY GARTH' FORMING AN ENCLOSURE LIKE A SMALL PARK TO THE NORTH, 'BREWHOUSE SIDE MOTTONS', 'HALL LEYS' AND DOVE COAT LEYS'. {1} OLD HALL, ON A MOATED SITE, IS LONG AND TIMBER-FRAMED, WITH A TWO-STOREY PORCH TO THE EAST. THE CLOSE-STUDDED FRAMING IS GENUINE ON THE INSIDE. MASSIVE CHIMNEYSTACK AT THE BACK. GOOD KINGPOST ROOF, PROBABLY MEDIEVAL. ONE ROOM HAS C18 PANELLING. {2}~ IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THE OLD HALL STANDS ON THE MOATED SITE OF THE ORIGINAL MANOR HOUSE WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE SEAT OF THE ORIGINAL MANOR HOUSE WHICH WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE SEAT OF THE WATERTON FAMILY (1488- 1566). THE EXISTENCE OF DEEP HOLLOWS ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE BUILDING SUPPORT THIS BELIEF. IN 1650 THE MANOR HOUSE WAS DESCRIBED 'AS CONSISTING OF A HALL, PARLOUR, BUTTERY, MILKHOUSE WITH THREE CHAMBERS OVER, A STABLE AND TWO BARNS CONTAINING TEN BAYS OF TIMBER BUILDING, THATCHED, WITH A GARDEN AND FOWLYARD'. ALTHOUGH THE HALL HAS RECENTLY BEEN RESTORED, THE EXTERNAL STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTIC ELIZABETHAN STYLE SOUTH END HAVE BEEN PRESERVED. THE HALL STILL CONTAINS MANY ORIGINAL FEATURES INCLUDING OAK PANELLING, EXPOSED BEAMS AND A PRIEST HOLE. {3}~, HTM 16.5M