Medieval homestead moat, Wickham's Farm (EHER 7832)

The remains of a medieval waterfilled rectangular homestead moat. When it was surveyed in 1987, the south and east arms survived almost complete apart from at the SE angle which had been widened out into a pond at sometime before 1922. The north arm had suffered from infilling, particularly at its western end where it was only traceable as a slight depression, and the west arm had been totally erased by later farm buildings.

Homestead moat at Wickham's Farm. <1> Probably to be associated with the family of John (le Fitheler) de 'Wyco(u)mbe' (mentioned in 1323 and 1326). The name is also mentioned in 1345 as 'Wycumbys', 1521 as 'Wykehams', and 1545 as 'Wyckombys alias Wykhams'. <2> Incomplete, rectangular. <3> Sketch plan on back of Medieval Settlements Research Group (MSRG) card, presumably from OS. <4> Moat [G.T.]. <5> July 1962. Field survey. South of Wickham's Farm are the remains of a waterfilled rectangular homestead moat. The west arm and part of the north arm are gone, but the course of the latter can be traced by a slight depression as far as the NW corner. No traces of building foundations were noted in the enclosed area. Published survey (25" 1922) revised. <6> The west and part of the north arms of this waterfilled moat had gone by 1962. The part of the north arm was traceable as a slight depression as far as the NW corner. No traces of building foundation were noted in the enclosed area. OS plan card in record. Seems to show SE corner enlarged to form pond. <7> October 1987. Field survey. The moat is situated on the side of a small valley with the land falling away very gently south and east. No evidence survives for external banking to the moat to aid water retention, and indeed probably none was ever required due to the extremely level nature of the immediate terrain. The south and east arms survive almost complete apart from at the SE angle which has been widened out into a pond; this is hardly likely to be an original feature but is shown as already in existence on the 1922 survey, and may either be a late (possibly Victorian) ornamental garden feature or possibly a marl/gravel pit. The north arm has suffered from infilling, particularly at its western end where it is now only traceable as a slight depression, and there is some evidence that the surrounding waterfilled eastern section was originally wider and more comparable in width therefore to the other arms of the moat. The west arm has been totally erased by later farm buildings, although its line is reconstructable from the slight surviving traces of both the NW and SW angles. This suggests the moat was originally slightly trapezoidal in shape, covering an area of some 100m east-west by 100m north-south along the west arm, reducing to 80m along the east. Size, shape and the relative narrowness of the arms (6m max) make this moat very similar to that which exists only 1.5kms to the west at Woodham Hall (EHER 5659). The central island is not raised above the level of the surrounding land. It preserves no evidence of former building platforms, but the southern half was until recently orchard and although now cleared hints of banking survive which would have obliterated any trace. The moat is fed with water at present by a field drain flowing into the NW corner, and drained by an overflow into another drain leading south from the pond. The original water management arrangements are likely to have been similar. Resurveyed at 1:2500 transferred to MSD. (See illustration card). <8> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.