Medieval moat, Wares (EHER 912)

A waterfilled homestead moat surrounds Wares. The original house was burnt down in the 19th century and the present house was built in 1894. The moat was formed by diverting the stream around the raised moated island with the entrance across the east side, but the flow has since been blocked.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Moat at Wares. <1> <2> <3> Probably to be associated with the family of Roger de la Ware (1281), also mentioned 1459. "This may be local in origin from weir, `weir'". <4> Other ref: <5> Incomplete, rectangular. <6> <7> Field survey, 1975 A waterfilled homestead moat surrounds Wares. The original house was burnt down in the 19th century and the present house was built in 1894. The moat was formed by diverting the stream around the raised moated island with the entrance across the east side, but the flow has since been blocked. Published survey 25" revised. <8> Wares. Shown on the OS 6" map as three sides of an irregular square. The Tithe map shows the moat somewhat enlarged on the south-east side. The fourth side is formed by a small stream which drains into the river Can. The name is probably associated with Roger de la Ware (1281 Feet of Fines for Essex). Morant mentions that Wares `hath a large house, moated round in a bottom' (1768). Construction tracks for a garage north-west of the present late 19th century house revealed late 16th century bricks footings, mainly associated with mid 17th century pottery dating the demolition of the earlier structure. 12th to early 14th century sherd was associated with a shallow gully or pit apparently oriented north-west/south-east. <9>