Medieval homestead moat, Aveley Manor (EHER 5079)

Homestead moat immediately east of the church, it was in poor condition when surveyed in 1953. In 1980 the interior was dense with scrubby woodland.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Homestead moat immediately east of the St. Michael's Church. <1> Moated manor south east of the churchyard. Part of the moat is water-filled, the west side is indicated by surface irregularities. Other, possibly associated surface features link up with up with an outlying pond and existing watercourses. Badger workings have thrown up pottery, dug through an area of cobbling and exposed a block of masonry. Before the conquest the manor was held by a local baron. In the reigns of Henry II and John Gilbert de Tani held it of the king. In the 13th century Aveley Manor came into the Brianzon family. In the 14th century it passed to Thomas de Bradeston (died 1360) who held the manor and the advowson of a chapel (demolished but originally north of the moat and possibly 14th century). The manor changed hands several times in the 15th-16th centuries, eventually coming to the crown. By 1593 the house had disappeared, however. A 1782 copy of Saxton's map of 1593 marks the site where it was said to have been. <2> Routine site inspection by ECC Archaeology Section. The moat surrounded a sub-triangular area, the south east and part of the north sides still surviving as a ditch. The west side was represented by a clear depression in pasture. Finds from the badger setts included stone, cobbling, pottery, bone and oyster shells. The medieval pottery included four sherds in a sub-St Neots shell-gritted fabric. Of the other three, two had evidence of glaze. The date range of the group is probably 1150-1250. Finds in Thurrock Museum. <3> <4> Plan in SMR. <5> According to Morant the house was entirely demolished but it stood in a little field near the south east corner of the churchyard. The site was still surrounded by a moat, part overgrown, in some parts "still of a considerable width and full of water." Relevant part is in SMR. <6> Tracing of 1782 copy of the 1593 map is in SMR, also information from the VCH relating to the site. <7> <8> In 1287 manor is described as a messuage, garden and artilage, in 1399 as a capital messuage, in 1374 as a capital messuage with the park 'badly enclosed with a ditch and feeble palings', in 1506 as a messuage and in 1578 the manor is Marshfods House on a different site. <9> Other ref: <10> Site Assessment = Site in a bad state in 1980. Dumping of garden waste in January 1980. Damage from badger setts. <11> Interior now dense scrubby woodland. <9> Aerial photograph <12> Site visit, 1953 Fragmentary moat. The W. arm is dry and overgrown. The E end of the S arm and the E. arm have been partially filled in and now constitute a double stream. Course of the N arm is visible but not surveyable. The whole is in poor condition. <13> Site is scheduled <14> Report on the condition of the moat. <3>