Medieval moat at Great Gubbins Farm, Laindon (EHER 80021)

The site was partially located on the northern edge of the medieval moated enclosure of Great Gubbins Farm. A single trial-trench was positioned over the projected line of the moat and, despite a lot of modern disturbance, it was identified within the centre of the trench surviving to a depth of at least 1.6m. Historic mapping shows that the moat was only partially filled with water by the late 19th century with the remaining earthwork visible until c. 1940. The site may have a long history of settlement and possibly be associated with the family of John Gubiun (1258). It is also mentioned in documents dating from 1457.

July 2016. Trial trenching. A single trench was excavated in advance of the construction of four new dwellings with associated parking, landscaping, and boundary walls. The site was partially located on the northern edge of the medieval moated enclosure of Great Gubbins Farm. A single trial-trench was positioned over the projected line of the moat and, despite a lot of modern disturbance, it was identified within the centre of the trench surviving to a depth of at least 1.6m. Historic mapping shows that the moat was only partially filled with water by the late 19th century with the remaining earthwork visible until c. 1940. The site may have a long history of settlement and possibly be associated with the family of John Gubiun (1258). It is also mentioned in documents dating from 1457. The finds recovered from the moat were all post-medieval ceramics, dating from the late 17th to early 19th century. <1>