Possible post-medieval moat, drainge ditches, or enclosure at Howletts End (EHER 4428)

Earthwork which has been described as a 16th and 17th century homestead moat. However, it is probably a drainage/stock enclosure.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Moat. <1> 1400 yards east-north-east of the church. The moat is incomplete. <2> April 1966. Field survey. Fragmentary remains of homestead moat, waterfilled and in poor condition. Published CSL 1:2500 correct. <3> <4> July 1973. Field survey. Published survey (1:2500) of 'moat' revised. Whether it is a homestead moat is uncertain; it may only be a drainage feature. The "north arm" is dry, about 5.0m wide, 1.5m deep and tapers into a narrow ditch at the west end. The remains of the "west and south arms" are waterfilled, about 4.0m wide, and deep watering-holes have been dug into the extremities. <5> <6> 1977. Field survey Tracing of Stokes' sketch and photo. <7> - <9> 2008. Test pitting. Three test pits (A-C) were machine-excavated to the base of the required strip level, a depth corresponding to c.0.5m below the floor level in the northern end of the existing building. The results of the test pitting are as follows: Test Pit A – measured 1.8m x 1m x 0.7m deep and was located within the western half of the extension footprint. Exposed in the base of the test pit was mixed grey clay silt containing 19th-20th century (frogged) bricks. No natural was visible and the ground was heavily root disturbed. Test Pit B – measured 1.4m x 1m x 0.64m deep and was located close to the central part of the extension. Grey brown clay silt containing modern brick and fragments of stone (identical to those in the adjacent patio) was exposed on the southern side of the test pit and light brown clay was exposed on the northern side. In the western side of the test pit a c.45°north-south cut was visible. Test Pit C –measured 1.5m x1m x 0.6m deep and was located at the eastern end of the extension. Exposed in the base of the test pit was disturbed dark grey silt with lenses of yellow sand. Visible within this deposit were sherds of blue and white pottery, fragments of brick and pieces of flower pot. The ground had also been disturbed by modern drain pipes and roots. No natural was visible. The test-pitting confirmed the presence of modern deposits along the entire length of the extension footprint. These continued below the required depth of excavation and are likely to be modern backfill of the former ditch/moat. The cut observed at the western end of Test Pit B may represent the edge of the ditch, cutting natural clay. This being so, the likelihood of observing any medieval remains was slight and after consultation with ECC HEM monitoring was halted. <10> Area = 0.15