Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

Moat (Ordnance Survey) rectangular, now ploughed over.

Context 1: Three medieval sherds found in interior.
Context 2: Outside north arm a scatter of late medieval ware, glazed and coarse.
A. Rogerson (NAU), and [1] 5 March 1977.

(S1) says that not only is moat under cultivation but also that the northern and eastern arms of the moat have been filled in. This is in fact shown on the latest edition of the 1:10,000 Ordnance Survey map.
Information from (S1), NAR Record No. TM 19 NW/3.
M.D. Leah (NAU), 17 December 1990.

1992. Fieldwalking and metal detecting finds. In and around moated site.
Medieval sherds, including late medieval/early post medieval.
12th/13th century lead seal matrix fragment 'FVNDEN' and swan.
Post medieval bronze buckle.
W. Milligan (NCM), 18 August 1992.

Whole site now filled in. Field under winter wheat. A slight rise to west may indicate the position of this side of the moat. Information from neighbour states that the remaining west and south ditches were bulldozed within the last two years.
H. Paterson (A&E), 31 October 1996.

The central grid reference for this site has been altered from TM 1375 9618 to TM 1370 9618.


March 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The site of this former moated site is visible on aerial photographs as a combination of extant earthworks, drains and soilmarks (S2-S5), although as stated above it is now predominantly plough-levelled. The identification of an additional moated enclosure to the west has altered from the central grid reference to TM 1370 9618. The extent of the site is no longer marked on the modern Ordnance Survey mapping. Therefore the former extent of the moat has been mapped using the Ordnance Survey Second Edition map (S6), as its full course was not clearly visible on the aerial photographs, to provide context for the additional moated enclosure visible on the aerial photographs.
The main addition to the site from the aerial photographs is the identification of another large moated enclosure conjoined to the main one, measuring 130m by 80m and with a ditch up to 10m wide in place. An external bank is also visible along some sections. The possible sub-rectangular soilmark, 22m by 25m, within the northwestern corner, may represent the remains of building platform. See NHER 54671 for discussion of a possible medieval windmill or medieval to post medieval circular building platform or garden feature recorded on the aerial photographs to the south of the site.
The area inside the main moat is producing a strong soilmark which is presumably derived from spread mound or bank material or perhaps even compaction or spread building material. The western side of mound appears to be banked or have the remains of a platform still visible (S1). The edges of this material in 1962 (S1) seems to overlie in the infilled ditches to the north, suggesting that either mound or building material may have been used to level some of the ditches. Several possible ditches and internal features may be visible but the archaeological significance of these was uncertain and given the relatively recent levelling of this site, they were not mapped.
S. Horlock (NMP), 05 March 2012.

Monument Types

• BUILDING PLATFORM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• SEAL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BUCKLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
• POT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Ashwellthorpe (Parish Summary)