Site of medieval to post-medieval manor house and moat at Ryes (EHER 4312)

The site of a manor house and the remains of a homestead moat, nearly 1 1/2 miles north-north-east of Hatfield Heath Church.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Ryes (GT) Site of (St). <1> Homestead moat, nearly 1 1/2 miles north-north-east of Hatfield Heath Church. <2> Ryes, the manor house of the Chamberlaynes, was pulled down about 70 years ago (about 1864), the moat and garden remaining. <3> Name known 1538-1544. <4> March 1950. Field survey. Fragmentary remains of homestead moat and site of Ryes correct as shown on field Sheet. Foundations and much building rubble marks the site of Ryes. Of the moat, only the north and east arms remain. The eastern portion of the north arm is traceable and consists of a shallow ditch 8.0 metres wide and 0.2 metres deep. No trace of the west and south arms, although a pond on the south-west corner of the site may have formed part of the moat. Condition of moat, fair. <5> <6> June 1973. Field survey. The present 'Ryes' is apparently of Victorian structure. To the north there are no remains of the original Ryes house in an area of dense undergrowth. There is no obvious connection or sympathy between the supposed north and east arms of the homestead moat around the site. The east arm is certainly part of a moat, water-filled and about 8.0m in width. The north arm is of irregular shape averaging 16.0m in width and also water-filled. There is no trace of a connecting ditch between the two, and it is possible that the north arm in fact was not part of the original moat. The pond to the south-west shown on the OS 25" has been filled in. The tithe map of about 1838 shows no significant change to the OS 25" published survey. Published survey (25") revised. <7> <8> 1977. Field survey. The east section is 8-10m wide, the rest 16m? 1.5m deep to the water. Ponds 12m wide and 1m deep to the water. North and east arms waterfilled. In wasteland, very overgrown. 2 ponds also. Tracing from Stokes' sketch plan. <9> See also: <10> Area = 2