Monument record MLI50314 - Moat at Manor Farmhouse, Stow

Summary

A medieval moat within which the Manor House stands.

Type and Period (2)

  • (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • (Post Medieval - 1700 AD? to 1900 AD?)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

A medieval moated site two arms of which survive. {1}{2} A post-medieval 17th century manor house farm on a moated site. {3} The manor of Stow was held by the Bishop of Lincoln in 1086 and throughout the Middle Ages. By the later 12th century, the bishops had a palace at Stow Park. It is uncertain whether there was a further local manorial centre or residence within the village but, if there was, then this possible moated site could be a candidate. The principal earthwork feature is an L-shaped water-filled moat, lying in paddocks and gardens east of Manor Farm. It consists of a long arm lying east to west and 85m in length with a turn north into an arm 35m in length. The angle between them is not 90 degrees but approximately 105 degrees. The interior of the moat has been disturbed by market gardening. The line of the moat has, in the past, been formally planted with elms, many of which are now fallen or felled. The east to west arm of the moat is cut some 1.5m into the general ground surface with notably steep sides, and measures 8m from lip to lip. It has a pronounced inner bank 1.2m in height, that is generally flat-topped, although disturbed. There is a corresponding outer bank, somewhat smaller (0.6m high) but with a sharp profile. The north to south arm of the moat is of similar dimensions, but there is no surviving outer bank and only fragmentary and uncertain traces of an inner bank. The moat bears some features suggesting an ornamental use or re-use, notably the flat-topped internal bank along the south arm that resembles a raised walkway and its bulbous west terminal. In addition the north to south arm respects the orientation of the house. Whether this was remodelling an earlier feature is unclear. A slight dip in the farm track and a slight scarp in the farm garden to the north might represent the former continuation of the north to south arm of the moat. {4}{5} A medieval moat seen in aerial photographs and recorded by the National Mapping Programme. {6}{7} The north arm of the moat was seen to continue across the track of Church End Farm during trenching work. The excavated trench stopped at 1m depth at this point but the ditch of the moat was deeper than this. At the surface the ditch had a width of some 8m. There was a further similar sized ditch to the west of the known moat which may perhaps be an earlier cut of the moat. There was a further feature, perhaps a pit to the east of the moat's arm that had a few sherds of 14th century pottery within the fill. {8}

Sources/Archives (8)

  •  Index: Lincolnshire County Council. Sites and Monuments Record Card Index. SK 88 SE: P.
  •  Index: Ordnance Survey. Ordnance Survey Card Index. SK 88 SE: 4.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: Nikolaus Pevsner and John Harris, with Nicholas Antram. 1989. Buildings of England: Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.725.
  •  Bibliographic Reference: P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn. 1991. Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire. Fig.20; Archive notes.
  •  Article in Serial: Paul Everson. 1987. Medieval Settlement Research Group. ANN REPORT 2 PP14-17.
  •  Aerial Photograph: COLE, C.. 1993-2002. InnerVisions Business Presentations. UK/E/L:1001VL (1993).
  •  Map: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1992-1996. National Mapping Programme. SK8881: LI.681.2.1.
  •  Verbal Communication: Jane Young. 2014. Information from Jane Young. 20/03/2014.

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred SK 8814 8194 (80m by 64m)
Civil Parish STOW, WEST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (0)

External Links (0)

Record last edited

Mar 21 2021 8:35PM

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