Post-medieval drainage ditches at Benningtons (EHER 4306)

A supposed moat, that a 1973 OS survey thought was possibly a system of drainage ditches.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Moat 2000 yards north-east of the parish church. The moat at Benningtons is incomplete. <1> The name known in 1352. <4> July 1973. Field survey. The farmhouse of Benningtons is modern. A map dated to about 1777 held by the farmer shows an earlier house. There are no certain remains of a moat, (none shown on 1777 map). The waterfilled feature to the south of the house is a drainage ditch not more than 5.0m wide, which widens to "moat-like" proportions at its west end. This and the isolated pond at TL 5618 1781 may possibly be on the line of a moat. All other details are obscured by modern buildings. According to the farmer, there was a water-filled 'arm' (now filled in) which extended from the supposed north arm to the west side of the house. This is confirmed by the tithe map of about 1838, which apart from this north arm extension, shows no significant differences from the OS 25" published survey of this alleged moat. Published survey (25") revised. <3> <4> 1977. Field survey. On MSRG cards, irregular or polygonal enclosure type, water supply from a spring, moat dry to the south. "A complex of ditches to the south east, all about 3m wide and 1m deep, not a convincing moat. A number of long, narrow ponds are tied in to the main moat by ditches". Moat 5m wide on the south, 8m on the west, 1.25m deep. <3> Sketch plan by Stokes, tracing in SMR. <6> Two photos. <7> Area = 0.4