Monument record 1167/0/1 - Grove Close Medieval Moat

Moat, probably medieval moated manor house. Located outside the former boundary of Wicken Park.

{1} The earthworks are on the south side of a small north east flowing stream and consist of a rectangular area bounded on the west, south and east by a ditch 8-15m wide and up to 1.75m deep, cut back into the rising ground on the south. The north side is bounded by the stream and there is no trace of an original ditch. The interior is divided into two unequal parts by a subsidiary ditch which runs from the middle of the east side and then curves towards the north before fading out. There is a large inner bank along the north side and the rest of the interior is uneven.
Nothing is known of the history of this site until the early 18th century when it is shown on a map of 1717, lying at the north end of a long, narrow field called The Grove Close and with a house standing within it. By 1841 the house had disappeared and only the west side of the moat is depicted, as a pond.

{4} Grove Close moat lies to the south east of Wicken Park and consists of a rectangular moated site measuring about 88m x 60m. The moat is fed by a small stream which runs along the north side of the site and three of the four original moat arms are preserved. Remains of a further ditch 1m deep and 4m wide crosses the centre of the site from west to east and it is considered that Grove Close was originally a double moated site. The west arm of the monument is still waterlogged particularly at its northern end, and is about 4m wide and 1.5m deep. The north arm is about 1m deep and 2m wide and a slight outer bank is still visible on the north of the site. The east arm varies in width between 2m and 4m and is about 1m deep. Irregularities in the surface of the moat island at its southern end mark the remains of buildings, the presence of which are indicated on early maps of the area.

{5} A strong homestead moat of which 3 arms only are extant. The island shows much disturbance in the form of amorphous mounds (probably foundations/ walling), depressions (probably robbery), and a slight hollow road. No surface masonry is evident.

{7} Aerial photos NCCAP:SP7437/001-3.

{8} Wicken:Homestead moat to SE of Rabbit Wood.

{9} (SP 74963767) Moat (LB)

{1, 8, 11, 12} A moat of medieval date is visible on historic aerial photographs and remote sensing data as earthworks and was mapped as part of Historic England’s North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project. Located approximately 750m south east of Akeley Wood Junior School, Wicken, Northamptonshire and centred at SP 74971 37671. The moat is immediately outside the former boundary of Wicken Park, shown on the 1814 map of Stony Stratford, and is shown on a plan of the Hosier Estate made in 1717. It is mostly obscured by shadows on 1940s aerial photos and appears to have been infilled and is overgrown by the early 2000s, but its shape is visible in earthworks/levelled earthworks on lidar visualisations. It is a Scheduled monument – ref 1011015.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.171/Site 5 (checked) (Series). SNN77382.

<2> Robert Kershaw, 1717, Map of Wicken, (unchecked) (Map). SNN20486.

<3> OS 25 INCH MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN21614.

<4> English Heritage, 1992, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, (checked) (Report). SNN47128.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP73NW5 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> 1838 & 1841, Wicken Tithe Map, (unchecked) (Map). SNN21643.

<7> Northamptonshire SMR Collection of Aerial Photographs, Used with NMR & CUCAP collections (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN104822.

<8> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.413 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<9> 1958, OS 6 INCH MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN21612.

<10> Colquhoun, FD, 1969, Field investigators comments (Notes). SNN112950.

<11> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF/CPE/UK/1792 RS 4177 11-Oct-1946 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<12> Vertical Aerial Photograph, OS/70301 V 101 18-Aug-1970 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN112695.

<13> Environment Agency, LIDAR Composite DTM - 1m, LIDAR SP7437 date accessed 18-May-2022 (Digital Plots). SNN111710.

Record last edited

Apr 2 2025 3:23PM