Medieval moat at Montpeliers Farm (EHER 759)

Remains of a medieval moat and a post-medieval farmhouse (EHER 760). The farmhouse dates to the 16th and 17th centuries. The fragmentary remains of the north eastern arm of a moat are visible as a waterfilled ditch averaging 8 metres wide.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Moat. <1> <2> Fragmentary remains of moat, overgrown on the east side. <3> Site visit, 1949 Remains of moat to the north east of Montpeliers Farm. Moat is only waterfilled in north east angle, averages 8m wide. Traces of the east arm show as a shallow depression through an orchard. According to the farmer the west arm through the farmyard was filled within living memory. <2> - <4> Field visit, 1976 OS plan card shows remains, tracing is in SMR. <5> <6> Montpelier's Farm, name confirmed, is probably 16th/17th century, externally rendered and not outstanding. Only the north east angle of the moat remains, waterfilled, averaging 8.0m wide. Traces of the east arm show as a shallow depression through the orchard. The west arm through the farmyard was filled in living memory according to the farmer. Published survey 1:2500 revised. <7> Incomplete, rectangular. <6> <8> Probably to be associated with the families of Bertram de Montpellers, John de Montepessile (1297), Mumpellers (1310), also mentioned 1488-1599. <9> Field visit, 1988 The moat lies on level ground on a small bluff between two small tributary streams flowing E to the River Wid. Only the NE angle survives waterfilled, and is in reasonable condition; the N arm is gradually being infilled from the W; and the S half of the E arm is traceable solely as a slight depression through orchard, up to 0.4m deep. Mrs Green - the mother of the present farmer - can remember the vanished W arm as a depression beneath where the main range of farm buildings now stand, and thought that the isolated pond at SJ 67050489 was originally part of the S arm; judging by the evidence for the E arm having extended at least as far S as the farm track, this seems more than probable. Thus the original shape of the moat appears to have been sub-rectilinear, with maximum dimensions in the order of 110m N-S by 70m E-W. Published survey revised at 1:2500. <10> MOAT [G.T.] <11>