Medieval homestead moat and probable sub surface remains of homestead buildings at Secret Garden (formerly West End House) (EHER 6974)

A medieval moated site sitauted on relatively high ground to the north of the River Colne, immediately north of the Stambourne Road (Drury Lane). The moated site is triangular in shape, defined by two arms of a water-filled ditch which converge at a point some 105 metres to the north of Stambourne Road. These ditches measure between 7.5 metres and 4 metres in width and average approximately 2 metres in depth. The southern end of the eastern arm now terminates some 50 metres from Drury Lane, although it is known to survive as a buried feature. The western arm similarly terminates some 30 metres short of the road. The south eastern spur is shown as a narrow drain continuing towards the road on maps dating back to 1873. The interior of the moat is level and it is thought to retain buried evidence for the structures which the moat was originally designed to enclose. Scheduled.

Homestead moat. <1> Incomplete, irregular moat, overgrown. <2> Sited on clay at the village margin, status unknown, occupied by 18th century house. Undefined entrance, water supplied from surface, single enclosure, polygonal but part only remains. No enclosure banks, the moat is 6m wide and 1m deep to the water. Maps in this source compare moat in 1983 with OS map of 1960 - since 1960 part seems to have been lost. <3> <4> Sited 300m west of the green. Island is raised (or lowered?) 1m. <5> Not a raised island, according to this source, but following the natural contours. A bank on the northern edge is probably external. The site is called Ridgewell Hall in this source, the Hall just outside the moat (possibly EHER 29520), but the occupant of the Hall said the original hall lay on the ditch side, i.e. north of the stream. The ground hereabouts is much disturbed. The land-use of the moated site is pasture according to this source; the moat is 10m wide, 1.5m deep to the water. One pond. <6> Sketch plan on back Medieval Settlement Research Group (MSRG) card from site visit and 1st edition OS map, differs from plans in source <3>, though tracing of OS map also fixed to MSRG card is similar to source <3> plans. <7> 1998. Scheduled Ancient Monument. See <8>. May 1950. Field survey. Incomplete homestead moat, of irregular form, correct as shown on Rec. 6". Condition: overgrown. <9> 2008. Watching brief. Archaeological monitoring of groundworks for the construction of a family annexe to the north-west of Secret Gardens (formerly West End House) was undertaken. The annexe, covering an area of 8.5 x 9.5m, is located in the south-east of the moated enclosure. The monitoring showed that the area of the annexe had previously been reduced by 0.40m during the construction of earlier outbuildings, down to an orangey/mid-brown chalky clay natural deposit. The ground had been built up with fine rubble and hardcore, with concrete slabs laid on top. No archaeological remains were present, not even truncated cut features (pits and ditches) or residual artefacts. Although the new annexe is within the boundaries of the medieval moated enclosure it appears that any archaeological remains which may have been present have been truncated by the construction of 20th-century outbuildings. It is likely that a 30-40m strip along the Drury Lane frontage has been disturbed by recent buildings, but the moat survives intact in the gardens to the rear and archaeological remains may well be preserved in these areas. <10> Area = 0.6 Original HER entry merged with NRHE data transfer. NRHE summary description: A medieval moated site sitauted on relatively high ground to the north of the River Colne, immediately north of the Stambourne Road (Drury Lane). The moated site is triangular in shape, defined by two arms of a water-filled ditch which converge at a point some 105 metres to the north of Stambourne Road. These ditches measure between 7.5 metres and 4 metres in width and average approximately 2 metres in depth. The southern end of the eastern arm now terminates some 50 metres from Drury Lane, although it is known to survive as a buried feature. The western arm similarly terminates some 30 metres short of the road. The south eastern spur is shown as a narrow drain continuing towards the road on maps dating back to 1873. The interior of the moat is level and it is thought to retain buried evidence for the structures which the moat was originally designed to enclose. Scheduled.