Monument record 3777/2/4 - "North moat", Barton Seagrave Manor

Earthwork: Non-destructive fieldwork

{2} A well-defined rectangular island completely surrounded by a ditch up to 2m deep, with massive outer banks or dams on the north and west. The island is flat, but is occupied by one small and two large rectangular ponds 1.0-1.5m deep. The purpose of this moat is obscure, but the interior ponds have been suggested as forming fish-breeding tanks.

{3} The north moat covers an area about 60m square and is surrounded by a ditch up to 8m wide and 2m deep; there is no evidence of an entrance causeway. Outer banks are evident on the north and west sides of the moat. Two deep rectangular depressions on the moat island are considered to be fishponds and suggest that this moat was an ornamental feature.

{4} Rectangular moated and ramparted site by stream.The banks enclose a rectangular depression with a central island roughly square in plan with two rectangular slots revetted on their inner faces with limestone and ironstone rubble. A 13th-century date is suggested by sherds of developed Stamford wares, an early medieval shelly ware rim and a Lyveden jug fragment (with olive green glaze over white slip stripes). The complex is probably a fish pond connected with the manor moat further south and the slots in the centre island are likely fish breeding tanks.

{6}{7} A roughly square platform with a wet moat. A stream flows past the earthworks on the north side and has been diverted into the moat which retains it by a large bank. The central platform is cut into by three excavations. These are similar to those on islands on the fishpond complex at Braybrooke. It is possible, however, that they may be stone pits cut at a later date.

<1> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.104-105 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<3> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (part checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<4> 1972, Northamptonshire Archaeology (7), 7/43 (checked) (Journal). SNN5057.

<5> Sharman T., 2009, Barton Seagrave Castle site, church, manor, and cottages, (checked) (Photographic prints (COL)). SNN106887.

<6> Council for British Archaeology, 1976, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter, 6/23 (checked) (Newsletter). SNN103415.

<7> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1974, Council for British Archaeology: Group 9 Newsletter, 4/25-26 (checked) (Newsletter). SNN17341.

<8> Aberg, A (Ed), 1976, Moated Sites Research Group Report 3, p. 11-12 & plan (Monograph). SNN66232.

Record last edited

Jan 10 2022 11:38AM