16th century moat at Bendysh Hall, Radwinter (EHER 1423)

An almost rectangular moat surrounding the 16th century house.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Moat surrounds the house - it is almost rectangular. There are traces of a 2nd enclosure to the south-east. <1> Ditch, south-east of the hall, doesn't appear to have formed an enclosure. <2> Incomplete circular moat about 60m in diameter. House and farm buildings within enclosure. <3> <6> In 1086 the manor was held by Eustace de Boulogne in demesne. <4> William, Earl of Boulogne, younger son of King Stephen, gave it to the Abbey of Faversham in 1147. <5> Incomplete, circular. Enclosure raised 0.5m-1.5m high. Moat is 10m wide x 2m deep. <6> Plan by Stokes on back of MSRG card. <7> Moat measures 76m x 70m - it is sub-rectangular. West angle and part of north-west arm are destroyed. South-west arm enlarged to form a pond. Remaining ditch is waterfilled and averages 8m wide. Accessed by two causeways on north-west arm and south angle. The north-west arm is probably the original one. A pond 70m long x 6m wide to the south-east of the moat suggests an outer enclosure. <9> in <8> Domesday Manor, name mentioned 1068, 1086, and 1206, and often thereafter. Name means 'Bean-enclosure'. <10> <11> January 1978. Field survey. Surrounding the hall and situated on a slight north-west facing spur is a sub-rectangular homestead moat measuring overall 76.0 m north-east to south-west by 70.0 m transversely. The west angle with part of the north-west arm has been destroyed by farm buildings, and the south-west arm enlarged to form a pond. The remainder is water-filled by seepage and averages 8.0 m in width. Two causeways give access to the island. One is on the north-west arm and is probably the original, the other is at the south angle. The island has been levelled off; it is under lawn and shows no evidence of former occupation. A water-filled ditch 70.0 m long and averaging 6.0 m in width lies parallel and 40.0 m from the south-east arm, suggesting an outer enclosure. It appears contemporary with the moat but there is no trace of connecting ditches although hedges to the south west and north east may mark their course. Published 25" survey (1921) revised. <12> October 2017. Watching brief. The groundworks in October revealed a thick layer of clay, up to 1.20m thick which lay above two pits spaced about 4.0m apart. One of the pits contained small fragments of 12th to 13th century pottery. The pits are most likely associated with the construction and first use of the moat in the medieval period. Their precise function is unclear. The thick layer of clay most likely represents redeposited clay/arisings from clearing of the moat which was then dumped within its circumference to form a building platform. In April the ground inside the barn was reduced by 0.10-0.30m after removal of its concrete floor. The layer, which was only partially removed, comprised clay with chalk fragments and represents the same redeposited clay/arisings from clearing of the moat, here used as a levelling layer for the barn. <14> Area = 0.25 See: Moat (NR). <14>