Medieval homestead moat, Langford Hall (EHER 7874)

Three sides of a, presumed, rectangular homestead moat, SW of the present 17th century and later Langford Hall (EHER 7875). Each arm averages 60.0m long by 8.0m wide by 1.5m deep. When the site was visited in 1976, no trace of a building was found within the enclosure and no indication of the possible course of the north arm could be found.

Homestead moat, SW of the present 17th century and later Langford Hall (EHER 7875). <1> According to OS field report of 1976, a three-sided rectangular water feature comprising east, SE and west arms lies on level ground on the Blackwater flood plain SW of Langford Hall. The feature has been incorporated with the adjacent 19th century mill stream, which now fills the arms from the west side. These average 60m long x 8m wide, but no trace of a building was found within the enclosured area. No trace of a possible north arm was found, and the farmer suggested it may have included a now dry meander of the river. Possibly the moat was dug as an ornamental feature but this could not be substantiated. <2> See also <9> below. Incomplete, flat enclosure, 8m wide. Moat is wet. On level ground. <4> Sketch plan on back of Medieval Settlement Research Group (MSRG) card. <5> See also <6>. Plan of moat in EHER, copy of OS map. <7> A document dated between 1272 and 1307 mentions a ‘pondefeld’ abutting on the hall in Langford (ERO D/DHt/T1/3). There is a Pond Field marked on the tithe map of 1838 that is situated next to Turners Farmhouse (now Orchard Cottage, EHER 38958) along the Maldon Road. It may be that there was a medieval manor house on the site of Turners Farmhouse or it may be that the manor house for Langford in the early medieval period was Stock Hall, which was, at times, within the parish of Langford. <8> NRHE data transfer: October 1976. Field survey. A three-sided rectangular waterfilled moat comprising east, south and west arms, situated on the River Blackwater flood plain SW of Langford Hall. Each arm averages 60.0m long by 8.0m wide by 1.5m deep. No trace of a building was found within the enclosure and no indication of the possible course of the north arm could be found. The feature is named as a homestead on the Tithe Award of 1838, but no north arm is shown. Published survey 1:2500 correct. <9> <10> July 1987. Field survey. The moat survives largely as described, with the exception of the SE corner which has been destroyed (summer 1987) by the construction of a large pond contiguous with it in the field lying immediately to the east (not yet surveyed on to OS maps). The enclosure formed by the moat is considerably higher than the surrounding floodplain as should be expected in such a situation, being at least 1m above water level when planned after a prolonged period of heavy rain. There are no clear indications of the line of a former north arm; a gentle slope visible in flower beds immediately north of the tennis court may relate to the latters' construction rather than to the moat, although it does mark a general falling-off in the NW from the height of the island. The whole area north of the moat between the modern house and river is lawn. Amorphous scarps are visible within it but nothing that seems obviously archaeological. At the north end of the east arm however, a shallow depression continues the line of the moat on for a further 15m before being truncated by a walled-pond garden feature. A line of old trees continuing the exterior edge of this arm suggest it may have extended an additional 12m past this point at one time. Taken in conjunction with the slight evidence detailed above for the course of a north arm, this would indicate that originally either the moat may not have been a complete rectangle, or that there was a northern extension to the east arm. Resurveyed at 1:2500 transferred to MSD. <11>