Medieval homestead moat, Woodham Hall (EHER 5659)

A large sub-rectangular Medieval homestead moat east of Woodham Hall.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Homestead moat at Woodham Hall. <1> Field visit 1962 To the east of Woodham Hall. Large, sub rectangular, measuring overall 80m north-south x 75m. Ponds incorporated at southern corners. These, with the southern side, were waterfilled in 1962. The landowner stated that the whole moat was wet at certain times of the year. Described as "in fair to good condition". No traces of buildings in enclosed area. Published survey (25" 1922) correct. <2> <3> The north arm had been filled in by 1975 <4> Field visit 1975 Complete, rectangular. Flat enclosure, occasionally wet. 'Recently' ploughed after trees grubbed (1975, November). A farmyard pond drains into it. North arm 'now' filled, also ponds and south west and south east corners not visible on OS map <5> This feature is located on land sloping gently to the south, and the ditches only achieve any strength towards the south-west corner. The north arm has been filled in and ploughed over and the island has also been ploughed. A scatter of tile can be seen in the western half but no other building debris. Published 1:2500 survey revised. <6> Sketch plan, presumably based on OS, on back MSRG card <7> Site Assessment In fair-good condition in 1962 <2> North arm filled in <5> <7> Field visit 1987 The N section of the W arm has been infilled since the last field visit in 1975, <5> and some disturbance around the SW corner has been caused during the recutting of the pond there situated. The remaining sections of the moat are at present variably dry and boggy and heavily overgrown. A field drain which enters the moat at the SE corner utilises the E arm as a drainage ditch; the cutting for this drain has caused disturbance at both the SE and NE corners of the moat at the entry and exit points. The narrowness of the E arm (6.0m), compared to the wider and probably more originally representative S arm (8.0m) appears to be due to partial infilling along the edge of the ploughed field to the E. Although infilled the line of the N arm is still traceable as a band of vegetation change over a rubble and gravel spread. No convincing evidence of outer banks could be found although the probability of such features surviving is slim considering the high level of modern disturbance and intensive arable cultivation. At the E edge of the inner platform a slight rise visible in the cereal crop may reflect a ground rise suggestive of a diminutive inner bank, although the crop itself prevented examination of this possibility. The inner platform appears to be slightly higher than the surrounding field levels. The present Woodham Hall (TL 79200151) appears to comprise a two storey EW wing extension, possibly 19th century, to an earlier NS range. This range is rendered with no diagnostic architectural features evident on the exterior. Resurveyed at 1:2500 (see illustration card) and transferred to MSD. <8> [TL 79250155] Moat [G.T.]