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

Earthwork: Non-destructive fieldwork. The site appears to be that of the manor of Barton Hanred, one of two manors in Barton Seagrave, which is last recorded as inhabited in 1433.

{1} Earthworks of "Seagrave Castle". The southernmost of the two moats appears to be the site of the 'castle'. This moat is undoubtedly the site of the manor house, and is probably where 'window frames and door cases of stone with other large quantities of good-face-stone' came from. There is a record of Nicholas de Seagrave obtaining licence to crenellate in the early C14th. The site appears to be that of the manor of Barton Hanred, one of two manors in Barton Seagrave, which is last recorded as inhabited in 1433.
The south moat encloses an island of irregular form surrounded by a wide ditch up to 2m deep. The interior is very uneven and much disturbed. A broad outer bank 1.5m high, on the north and west sides formerly held the water in the ditch. In the south-west corner the ditch is much wider than elsewhere and was perhaps a fishpond. Just outside the south-west corner of the moat is a large irregular mound, which is possibly a spoil heap from the original construction work. This moat is undoubtedly the site of the manor house, and is probably where 'window frames and door cases of stone with other large quantities of good-face-stone' came from.

{3} {4} A rectangular platform, 210ft by 125ft. Part of the platform has been dug out at the south west corner. Stone was taken from her earlier in the 20th century to build the stables at Barton Hall. A moat of varying width completely surrounds the platform except for a narrow causeway on the east side. The moat was clearly meant to be filled with water. Substantial banks ring in the moat on the west and north sides.

{3} Licence to crenellate was granted by Edward II in 'mansum' .

{10} The southernmost moat is rectangular, measuring approximately 115m x 68m, and is surrounded by a ditch up to 2m deep and 20m wide. A causeway lies across the east ditch of the moat and exposed stonework is visible on the rectangular moat island. There is an outer bank 1m high on the north and west sides of the moat ditches.

{11} One of the test pits truncated the north east corner of the southern most moat, and revealed a metalled layer which comprised part of the external bank to the moat. Immediately to the south of this, a second test pit cut the eastern causeway of the same enclosure. This revealed 'backfill' deposit containing limestone masonry fragments, which overlaid the fill of the moat, a sterile sandy silt overlying a black organic silt that contained animal bone, wood fragments and a single sherd of C14th pottery.

{12} The trench revealed the outer, eastern edge of the southern moat. A single, residual piece of C13th/C14th Lyveden/Stanion ware was recovered from the latest phase of silting.

{14} The observation and recording of two test pits located to the rear of 2 Polwell Lane identified a thick layer sealed by later deposits. It may have been formed during clearance of the moat channel in the medieval period. A sherd of Roman pottery and two flint blades are likely, therefore, to be residual.

{15} Trial trench excavation identified a medieval ditch to the east of the Scheduled Monument and probably associated with the manorial remains. A small quantity of pottery dating between AD 1150-1400 was recovered.

{16} Survey of the moat in 1975. An elderly inhabitant of Barton Seagrave remembers being taken earlier in the century to build the stables at Barton Hall. The moat completely surrounds the platform except for a narrow causeway on the eastern side facing the present village. Substantial banks ring the moat on the western and northern sides.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.103/Site 14 (checked) (Series). SNN77380.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP87NE7 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Rowley R.T.; Fowler W.J. (Editors), 1974, Council for British Archaeology: Group 9 Newsletter, 4/25-26 (checked) (Newsletter). SNN17341.

<4> Council for British Archaeology, 1976, South Midlands Archaeology: CBA Group 9 Newsletter, 6/23 (checked) (Newsletter). SNN103415.

<5> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.217 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<6> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.44 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<7> Parker, Domestic Architecture in England, Part 2/p.406 (unchecked) (Book). SNN56159.

<8> 1961, H.M.S.O. List, p.68 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN8489.

<9> Taylor P., 1992, Fishponds Report 1992, (unchecked) (Report). SNN1339.

<10> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<11> Maull A.; Carlyle S., 2002, Archaeological watching brief at Barton Seagrave Moats, Kettering, Northamptonshire, p.4 (checked) (Report). SNN102275.

<12> Sharman T.; Carlyle S., 2002, Addendum to archaeological watching brief at Barton Seagrave Moats, Kettering, Northamptonshire (SAM No. 13630), (checked) (Report). SNN102352.

<13> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Photographs). SNN104822.

<14> Reid, A., 2016, Archaeological evaluation at 2 Polwell Lane, Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, April 2016 (Report). SNN110717.

<15> Wolframm-Murray, Y, 2020, Archaeological trial trench evaluation on land off Polwell Lane, Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire, January 2020 (Report). SNN112555.

<16> Aberg, A (Ed), 1976, Moated Sites Research Group Report 3, p. 11-12 & plan (Monograph). SNN66232.

Record last edited

Jan 10 2022 11:37AM