Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

19 April 1976. Ordnance Survey aerial photography.
Positive or parchmarks cropmarks/soilmarks.
Moat.
D. Voisey (NLA) 17 January 1995.

Moat-like feature on Ordnance Survey.
Probably genuine - rectangular wet moat around wooded island with odd 'bay' to east, perhaps not significant. Nettles around outside of ditches indicate disturbed ground. Farm to east called Moat Farm.
E. Rose (NAU) 3 August 1978.

Moat appears square, approximately 30m x 30m. Ditches waterfilled.
Platform slightly raised above surrounding land. Several trees mostly holly and aspen, also scrub.
Local history quotes moat as constructed this century.
H. Paterson (NLA) 21 February 1996.

Moat water filled, interior becoming grass covered after removal of old dead wood/trees. Owner will continue to manage site for wildlife.
H. Paterson (NLA) 18 March 1999.

(S1) and (S2) show moat to have been rectangular, with long axis parallel with Low Road, entrance midway along southern arm, and projection to east of eastern arm. The island of the surviving square feature lies in the western part of its predecessor, and its area comprises less than 50% of the earlier enclosure.
A. Rogerson (NLA) 10 September 2005.

October 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The centre of the site has been amended from TL 9539 9407 to TL 9540 9411 as a result of the NMP mapping.
The moat and surrounding features, at least some of which appear to be related to it, are visible as earthworks on the aerial photographs (S2-S3).
The moat itself is centred on TL 9540 9408 and measures 51m by 25m internally, approximately 66m by 33m externally, although it is extremely difficult to be certain of this as it appears tree-filled on all the available photographs, and because of this and the fact that it is depicted clearly on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map (S6), it has not been mapped by the NMP.
It also appears differently by 1968 (S4), the moat has been filled in and appears as a square earthwork with a remainder of the original earthwork to the east. This and later photographs (S5) are presumably what gave rise to the suggestion that the moat was square (above).
A hollow way is visible running east-west to the north of the moat, as described above, from TL 9535 9411 to TL 9546 9412, with a possible north-south arm that joins the moat at TL 9537 9409.
An area of possible enclosures, which may represent medieval tofts, to the east of the area is visible centred on TL 9564 9412 (NHER 31932).
E. Ford (NMP), 17 October 2012.

Monument Types

• HOLLOW WAY? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TRACKWAY? (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Stow Bedon (Parish Summary)