Medieval moat and manor at Hill Farm (formerly Pannells) (EHER 7013)

The earthwork remains of a polygonal medieval moat with an antrance via a causeway.

In RCHM as "Ridgewell Hill Farm". Three arms of a moat survived then. <1> <2> Single, polygonal moat. Water supply from surface. Sited on a high spot in gentle, rolling country. No enclosure banks. Enclosure is flat. The moat is 2m wide on the south, 4m on the north and west. The dry southern arm is 2m deep. The moat is 1.5m deep to the water elsewhere. Three adjacent ponds. <3> Plan on back Medieval Settlement Research Group (MSRG) card, from site visit and OS 1st edition, also in the EHER. <4> <5> Two photos in the SMR. <6> In isolated position. Manorial status. Entrance via a causeway. Moat is 6m wide, 1m deep to the water. Ponds and channels present. Plan in source <7> shows the northern part of the west arm surviving as an earthwork (was wet on OS 1:2500 1953 map), also a pond or channel on the possible course of the north arm (marked as an earthwork `step' on the 1953 map?). Ponds (or channels?) are shown north of this also. <7> <8> Morant calls the manor `Pannells le Hill' and says the Panell family were here from 1385-1613 (an inscription on the present house probably refers to a member of the family - see EHER 7014). <9> <10> Area = 0.57 NRHE data transfer: no new information.