Monument record 1679/4/7 - Saffron Moat

The alleged moat is thought more likely to be a small fishpond complex associated with Chichele College. It is visible as a deep partly-filled ditch measuring up to 12 metres wide surrounding an island some 20 metres square

{2} Moat (SP 95826870) lies immediately W of the town on flat land at 230 ft above OD. A deep, partly water-filled ditch up to 12 m. wide surrounds a small island about 20 m. square. The interior of the island has been largely dug away in the centre. The name given to it, Saffron Moat, merely refers to the old fields in which it lay, once called Saffron Close. It is only shown as a rectangular pond on a map of Higham Ferrers of 1789. Plan.

{3} Earthwork of a medieval moat belonging to Chichele College. Its name derives from 'Saffron Close' in which it lies. Saffron was grown for medicinal purposes and probably used in the college dispensary. Shown on a map of 1789.

{5} 150m. East of Chichele College is a moat approximately 55 X 44m. The ditch is 2m. Deep x 4m wide. A raised bank to the east may be the site of a bridge. A lower central area with bank may be a fishpond. This medieval moat probably belonged to Chichele College. The small island is 20m square with the centre dug away and surrounded by a deep water-filled ditch.

{6}{7}{8} The Saffron Close, which had been granted to the College in 1427, when it comprised 4 acres of common pasture, was by 1591 a park-like walled area containing a small moated enclosure. The whole area is now a public park with the moat surviving as an earthwork.

{9} This moat is in fact a small fishpond complex, which, according to Mr A N Groome of Higham Ferrers History Society, belonged to the adjacent Chichele College (SP 96 NE 2). See annotated 1:1250 survey.

{10} The moated fishpond complex is as described above (Source 8-9) and was mapped from lidar imagery as part of the Bedford Borough NMP project.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP96NE15 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.56/Site 11 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<3> Supplementary File, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN51765.

<4> GROOME, 1964, Untitled Source, p.14 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59483.

<5> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<6> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Higham Ferrers (Medieval - Industrial), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100543.

<7> 1591, Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, Mss 706 Anglais, Acq. Nouv. No.58, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100545.

<8> COLBECK J., 1737, Higham Ferrers, 1737 (NRO Map 1004), (unchecked) (Map). SNN100548.

<9> Seaman, B H, 1970, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 BHS 28-JUL-70 (Notes). SNN111541.

<10> Environment Agency, LIDAR Composite DTM - 1m, LIDAR SP9568 Environment Agency 1M DTM 01 Oct 2014 - 31 May 2017 (Digital Plots). SNN111710.

<11> Bedford Borough Council HER, Undated, Bedford Borough NMP, MD003015 (Archive). SNN113023.

Record last edited

Nov 14 2023 4:51PM