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English Pages [208] Year 1981
Medieval Moated Sites in North-West Europe edited by
F. A. A berg and A. E. Brown
BAR International Series I 2 I 1981
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
B.A.R.�
B.A.R.
122 Banbury Road,
Oxford OX2 7BP, England
GENERAL EDITORS A. R. Hands, E.Se., M.A., D.-Phil. D. R. Walker, M.A.
B.A. R. S 121, 1981: ''Medieval Moated Sites in North-West Europe." © The Individual Authors, 1901. The authors’ moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher. ISBN 9780860541479 paperback ISBN 9781407326313 e-book DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This book is available at www.barpublishing.com
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
C ONTENTS P age L ist o f p lates L ist o f f igures
i ii
A cknowledgements
v i
P reface
v ii
H . E . J EAN L E P ATOUREL ( Chairman , M oated S ites R esearch G roup) M oated s ites i n t heir E uropean c ontext
1
C . J . S PURGEON ( Royal C ommission o n A ncient M onuments i n W ales a nd M onmouthshire) M oated s ites i n W ales
1 9
T . B . B ARRY ( Department o f M edieval H istory , T rinity C ollege, D ublin) T he s hifting f rontier : m edieval m oated s ites i n C ounties C ork a nd L imerick
7 1
M . B UR ( D4partement d es S ciences H istoriques e t G 4ographiques, U niversity o f N ancy) R esearch o n t he m edieval f ortified h ouse i n e astern F rance : t he m oated s ites o f t he C hampagne
8 7
C LAUDE L ORREN ( Centre d e r echerches a rchgologiques m gdievales , U niversity o f C aen T he c astle o f R ubercy , c . 150-1204
1 03
F . V ERHAEGHE ( Research A ssociate , N FSR , S eminarie v oor A rchaeologie , R ijksuniversiteit , Ghent) M edieval m oated s ites i n c oastal F landers
1 27
C .
H OEK
M oated s ites i n t he c ounty o f H olland
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1 73
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
L IST O F P LATES P age P late 1 .1
M oated s ite S .E . o f C ardington , S alop , S O 5 17947
3
P late 1 .2
M oated s ite a t B leasby , L incs ., T F 1 30847
3
P late 1 . 3
M oated s ite a t W hinburgh , N orfolk , T O 0 08090
4
P late 1 .4
M oated s ite a t F lintry , S tirlingshire
4
P late 3 .1
K ilmagoura , m edieval m oated s ite, C ounty C ork
7 7
P late 4 .1
R osay ( Marne)
9 3
P late 4 .2
C hätillon , c ommune d e C ourgonnet ( Marne)
9 3
P late 4 .3
C hätillon , c ommune d e C ourgonnet ( Marne)
9 4
P late 4 .4
V ieux-les-Manre ( Ardennes)
9 4
P late 4 .5
C lesles ( Marne)
9 5
P late 4 .6
W artigny , c ommune d e M urtin-Bogny ( Ardennes)
9 5
P late 5 .1
A erial v iew o f t he v alley o f t he T ortonne , t aken f rom t he e ast , s howing t he p rincipal d welling i n c ourse o f e xcavation a nd i ts i mmediate e nvironment
11
V iew o f t he s ite , t aken f rom t he e ast , s howing t he l ow e levation o f t he m ound r emaining a fter t he d emolition o f t he p rincipal d welling
12
T he s tump o f t he n orth w all ( in O Q 1 0-11) a nd t he t op o f t he s carp o f t he m oat
13
P late 5 .4
T he e ntrance s een f rom t he e ast
14
P late 5 .5
T he a butment o f t he b ridge g iving a ccess t o t he o uter c ourtyard o n t he n orth
15
T he c obbled p ath a nd t he a ccess r amp t o t he p rincipal d welling
16
T he e nceinte w all o n t he n orth e ast ( in C C 8 -9), s howing t he s uperimposition o f t he t wo p eriods o f c onstruction , a nd t he l ittle g ateway , s ubsequently w alled u p , w hich a fforded a ccess t o t he r iver
17
P late 5 .2
P late 5 .3
P late 5 .6
P late 5 .7
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P age P late 5 .8
A s ection o f t he s outhern w all o f t he f irst p eriod, p reserved a gainst t he g able w all o f t he g reat r ectangular b uilding ( in B B 1)
18
A erial p hotograph o f t he c entral p art o f L ampernisse
1 41
P late 6 .2
S ite L 9 ( the I ephof) i n L o
1 51
P late 6 .3
S ite D PS 1 6 i n S tuivekenskerke
1 51
P late 6 .4
S ite D N .5 i n N ieuwkapelle
1 52
P late 6 .5
S ite D K 1 9 i n K aaskerke
1 52
P late 7 .1
T eylingen
1 74
P late 7 .2
t er D uijn
1 74
P late 7 .3
V laardingen , r econstruction o f H oly
1 85
p late 7 .4
C apelle a an d en Y ssel, m oated s ite i n 1 945
1 85
P late 7 .5
C apelle a an d en Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 350
1 87
P late 7 .6
C apelle a an d en Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 750
1 87
P late 7 .7
S chiedam , c astle i n 1 350
1 88
P late 6 .1
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
i i
L IST O F T EXT F IGURES P age F ig .
1 .1
E xamples o f Y orkshire m oats t he p arish b oundary
F ig .
1 .2
M ap o f e xcavated m oats
F ig .
1 .3
D istribution m ap o f m oats
1 0
F ig .
1 .4
C omparison b etween m oated s ites i n t he A uxois a nd E ssex
1 2
F ig . 2 .1
M oated s ites i n W ales
2 1
F ig .
M oated s ites i n W ales:
2 .2
s ituated o n o r n ear
6
8
c ounty t otals
2 2
F ig . 2 .3
A nglesey m oats
2 5
F ig . 2 .4
C aernarvonshire m oats
2 6
F ig . 2 .5
M erionethshire m oats
2 7
F ig . 2 .6
C ardiganshire m oats
2 8
F ig . 2 .7
P embrokeshire m oats
3 1
F ig . 2 .8
C armarthenshire m oats
3 2
F ig . 2 .9
F lintshire m oats
3
F ig . 2 .10
D enbighshire m oats
3 4
F ig . 2 .11
M ontgomeryshire m oats
3 5
F ig . 2 .12
R adnorshire m oats
3 6
F ig . 2 .13
B recknockshire m oats
3 9
F ig . 2 .14
M onmouthshire m oats
4 0
F ig . 2 .15
M onmouthshire m oats
4 1
F ig . 2 .16
G lamorgan m oats
4 2
F ig .
G lamorgan m oats
4 3
F ig . 2 .18
C wrt L lechryd , L lanelwedd
4 4
F ig .
L lys E dwin
1 4 7
2 .17
2 .19
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P age F ig . 2 .20
H ighlight
4 8
F ig . 2 .2 1
M oats i n W ales i n t heir p olitical a nd c ultural s etting
5 1
T he d istribution o f ' rectangular e arthworks ' i n I reland f rom t he f irst e dition o f t he O rdnance S urvey ( 1832-40). ( After G lasscock 1 970)
7 2
F ig . 3 .2
T he d istribution o f m oated s ites i n c ounties C ork a nd L imerick
7 4
3 .3
R igsdale , m edieval m oated s ite , C ounty C ork : g eneral p lan o f e xcavation
8 0
F ig . 4 .1
M oated s ites i n t he D epartments o f t he A rdennes, M arne a nd A ube
8 8
F ig .
4 .2
U illy-le-Mar6chal ( Aube)
8 8
F ig .
4 .3
T he e nvirons o f V ertus
9 0
F ig .
4 .4
C hetillon ,
9 6
F ig .
4 .5
C lesles ( Marne)
F ig . 3 .1
F ig .
c ommune o f C ourgonnet ( Marne)
9 6
F ig . 5 .1
L ocation p lan
1 04
F ig . 5 .2
G eneral p lan o f t he s eigneurial e stablishment
1 07
F ig .
L ocation o f t he t est-zone
1 28
F ig . 6 .2
T he v illage t erritories i n t he t est-zone
1 30
F ig .
T he p edogenetic l andscapes i n t he w estern p art o f t he F lemish c oast
1 32
6 .1
6 .3
F ig ,
6 .4a
T ypes o f m oated s ites i n t he t est-zone: G roupsA 1 t o A 2
1 34
F ig .
6 .4b
T ypes o f m oated s ites i n t he t est-zone : G roups A 3 t o A 5
1 36
F ig . 6 .5
L ampernisse ( central p art): m oated s ites
1 38
F ig . 6 .6
S ection o f t he m oat a round s ite D PL 2 3
1 42
F ig .
6 .7
T he T orreelen ( site B V 2 0)
1 56
F ig .
6 .8
D istribution m ap o f m oats s till e xtant
1 58
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
i v
d istribution o f
P age F ig .
7 .1
P oortugaal , f armhouse i n t he m iddle o f t he 3 rd c entury
1 77
F ig .
7 .2
P oortugaal , m oated s ite i n t he 9 th c entury
1 77
F ig .
7 .3
P oortugaal , m oated s ite i n t he 1th c entury
1 7 8
F ig .
7 .4
P oortugaal , m oated s ite i n t he m iddle o f t he 1 2th c entury
1 7 8
F ig .
7 .5
P oortugaal , m oated s ite i n 1 200
1 79
F ig .
7 .6
P oortugaal , m oated s ite i n 1 250
1 80
F ig .
7 .7
P oortugaal , m oated s ite i n 1 350
1 81
F ig .
7 .8
Z wartewaal , m oated s ite i n 1 250
1 83
F ig .
7 .9
Z wartewaal, m oated s ite i n 1 400
1 83
F ig .
7 .10
C apelle a an d en
1 90
F ig .
7 .11
S chiedam , m oated s ite i n 1 260
1 93
F ig .
7 .12
G revenbroich , H usterknupp i n 9 00
1 95
Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 418
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS T he t ranslation f rom F rench o f t he p apers b y C laude L orren a nd M ichel B ur w ere t he w ork o f T ony B rown ; h e w ishes t o t hank M rs J ean L e P atourel f or h er c onsiderable a ssistance i n t his t ask . T he E ditors w ish t o a cknowledge t he p ermission g ranted b y t he C ommittee f or A erial P hotography o f t he U niversity o f C ambridge f or t he p ublication o f P lates 1 .1, 1 .2 , 1 .3 a nd 3 .1 a nd t o t he N ational M onuments R ecord f or S cotland f or p ermission t o p ublish P late 1 .4 .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
v i
P REFACE
M edieval s ites o f s eignorial s tatus a re c ommon i n t he s ettlement p attern o f l arge p arts o f n orth-west E urope r epresenting o ne e lement i n t he s ocial , e conomic a nd h istorical d evelopment o f s ociety . W ithin t hese s ites o ne g roup t akes t he f orm o f ah ouse i solated b y aw et, f lat-bottomed d itch , b ut d evoid o f o ther s ignificant d efences . T he L eicester C onference i n A pril 1 978 a imed t o b ring t ogether s cholars f rom d ifferent c ountries t o d iscuss t he p roblems o f r ecognition , h istory a nd f unctions o f s uch s ites , a nd t he s tructures t hey c ontain . A ll w ho p articipated i n t he m eeting a re i ndebted t o t he s taff o f t he D epartment o f A dult E ducation o f t he U niversity o f L eicester , w ho o rganised t he c onference, t hus p roviding a n o pportunity t o e xchange i nformation a nd v iews . A lthough m edieval m oated s ites h ave b een t he s ubject o f m any p apers a nd t hree m onographs i n B ritain , i t r emains o ne e lement o f t he m edieval l andscape t hat m erits m ore a ttention . I n 1 972 t he M oated S ites R esearch G roup w as f ormed i n t his c ountry t o p rovide g uidance o n f ield r ecording a nd a rchaeological e xcavation , t o o ffer a f orum t hrough c onferences a nd a n a nnual r eport f or p apers o n t he s ubject , a nd t o f ormulate p olicies w hich w ould f urther r esearch . T he g eneral d istribution o f s ites i n B ritain i s k nown a s i s t heir r ange i n d ate, b ut t he d etailed a nalysis o f t he t ypes o f e nclosures a nd t heir a ssociated f eatures i s s till f ar f rom c omplete. I n s ome c ounties w here m edieval m oats a re f requent t he v ery n umber o f s ites m akes f ield s urvey a nd d ocumentary s tudy d ifficult, a nd t he p rocess o f• a nalytical r esearch c annot b egin w hile e ven t he v isible e vidence i s i ncompletely u nderstood. F or t his r eason t he M oated S ites R esearch G roup h as e mphasised t he f ield e xamination o f m oated e arthworks s o t hat s tandard r ecords a re a vailable f or a s m any s ites a s p ossible. A rchaeological e xcavations o n m edieval m oats n ow e xceeds 1 50 s ites i n E ngland , b ut t oo m any o f t hese a re i nadequate b ecause o nly p art o f t he s tructures h as b een r evealed . I t i s c lear t hat s imilar d ifficulties b eset c ontinental i nvestigators, a nd t hat p roblems e xist i n u nderstanding E uropean s ites t hat a re c omparable w ith E nglish m oats, s ince e xcavation i n F landers, H olland a nd G ermany s uggests t hat s ome m oats s uperficially a kin t o t hose i n B ritain m ay b e m uch e arlier i n d ate . I n i ts f irst r eport t he M oated S ites R esearch G roup s et o ut t he p oints t o b e c onsidered i n c hoosing s ites f or e xcavation , a nd i t i s o f c ritical i mportance t hat a ttention s hould b e d irected t o t hese w hen a llocating r esources f or e xpensive i nvestigations . V ery f ew s ites i n B ritain o r E urope h ave b een f ully e xcavated i n t hat t he m oat p latform i s o ften n ot c ompletely s tripped , t he m oats a nd w ater s ystems a re n ot e xamined a nd t he r elated e nclosures o r f ishponds a re n eglected, w hen i t i s c lear t hat w e c an o nly h ope t o u nderstand t hese m anorial s ites i f w e l ook a t e ach a s o ne i nter-related c omplex . T he M oated S ites R esearch G roup h as n ever r egarded i ts s ubject o f s tudy a s l imited t o B ritain , a nd h as, w henever t he o pportunity o ffered, Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
v ii
i ncluded i n i ts a nnual r eports p apers f rom F rance, G ermany , F landers, D enmark a nd P oland . T hese c ontributors m ade i t e vident t hat t he g rowing i nterest i n t hese e arthworks i n E ngland w as w idely r eflected e lsewhere, a nd t hat t he p rocesses o f i nformation g athering a nd r esearch w ere p roceeding o n p arallel l ines . T he n eed f or a c onference t o c onsider m edieval m oated s ites i n aw ider c ontext t han E ngland w as t herefore e vident , a nd t he i dea o f t he L eicester m eeting o riginated f rom t his . T he c onference a ttracted s ome t hirty s cholars f rom a broad, a nd s ome a dditional i mpromptu p apers f rom p articipants w ere i ncluded i n t he p rogramme . W e a re i ndebted t o a ll w ho t ook p art, a nd t his v olume b rings t ogether t he m ajor p apers g iven d uring t he p roceedings.
A lan A berg T ony B rown
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
v iii
MOATED SITES IN THEIR EUROPEAN CONTEXT by H. E. Jean le Patourel The Moated Sites Research Group is one of several groups that have been formed in England to study specific archaeological problems of the medieval period. The sites which are its special concern belonged, for the most part, to members of the seignorial class, or to those who �spired to be of that class, owners of the larger houses in the countryside. These could be manor-houses, or something very near true castles in size and style, or at the other end of the scale, simply prosperous farm houses. The feature that they had in common was a broad moat or moats surrounding the establishment or some part of it. These large houses were always enclosed in some fashion; it could be by a simple hedge and ditch (1), occasionally by a bank and paling (2), more often by a cob wall thatched with straw (3) or, in the case of the more important houses, especially those with a licence to crenellate� by a stone wall. The moats therefore were a specialized form of enclosure which might or might not be combined with one or other of the simpler methods. They had the added advantage that, as they were normally water-filled, they provided an elementary form of defence, if that were required. It was recognised at an early stage in the study that the sites needed to be considered in the context of the medieval countryside as a whole, even though attention were concentrated on the moat systems and the buildings associated with them; that they must be considered in relation to village topography, to church, peasant houses, woodland and waste as well as to the settlement limits or boundaries, to all of which they have an intimate tenurial and chronological relationship (see Pls. 1.1-3). A field record card was therefore devised to take account of all the se factors in addition to the shape, size and arrangements of the moated sites themselves (4). The first objective of the group has been to record accurately and to map the individual sites and to consider the implications of their distribution. As soon as one goes beyond this comparatively simple, if lengthy, task and looks at the origins, development and causes of moat construction, it becomes necessary to view this type of earthwork in a much wider context, for we are not so insular as to suppose that they are an exclusively English phenomenon. The work that has already been done in England has led to certain tentative conclusions as to distribution and chronology which may possibly apply to this country alone, though there is mounting evidence that this is not so, and it has given rise to theories as to the tenurial pattern, and the relationship of different types of moat to village and settlement, which are likely to have wider implications.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1
These conclusions depend on the evidence of documents, of considerable fieldwork and on the results of over a hundred and twenty five excavations, many of them of a restricted nature, but some few, especially among recent excavations, of considerable extent. Similar classes of evidence are in use in most of the countries where moats are a feature of the landscape. The evidence Documents In our experience documentary evidence has always needed to be carefully handled, for it is all too easy to ask from written sources more than they can be expected to give. The mere mention of the existence of a house belonging to a named family at a readily identifiable place does not necessarily imply a moated house at the time. The first two phases of the excavated moat at Weoley (Warwickshire), for example, produced a house with narrow ditches only (5); the moat was a later addition. A document may give a terminus ante quern for the moat as with the house at Cotti�gham (Yorkshire) (6) which an Inquisition described in 1282 as 'well constructed, with double moats'; but it does not tell us how long they had been in existence. At·Ardley (Hertfordshire), in 1334, we get a little nearer to what we want to know: 'the ditch of the moat has been cleared in its circuit and made deeper, in some parts by 10 feet, in others by 4 feet and in others by 3 feet and it is intended to deepen the moat still further so that water may flow all round it' (7). This sounds as if a dry ditch was in course of replacement by a true moat but we cannot be quite sure, for it may be that silt was being removed to re-open an existing channel. What is really needed for certainty is precise information of the sort contained in an account for digging moats at Cowick in 1323 (8), and this sort of information is rare even for royal manors, though it can sometimes, by lucky chance, survive for lesser properties. Documentary evidence published by Bur for the Argonnais shows much the same story - sources that demonstrate the existence of moats at a given date as at Boncourt and Elize, and more precise evidence of the actual date of construction as at Verrieres (9). In all cases it is more satisfactory when excavated evidence is found to substantiate that of the documents. Fieldwork Fieldwork, though obviously of greatest value in the location of sites and for recording their shape, arrangements and precise topography, has shown that it has something to offer also in relation to chronology, or at least to relative chronology. Some moated sites, for example, are situated in the middle of what were once open fields. Reedness in Yorkshire, on the early 19th century tithe map, shows cultivation strips clearly interrupted by the moated site, which itself is situated in what is obviously the last of a series of open fields reclaimed from the surrounding marshland (10). It should therefore represent a very late arrival in relation to the settlement. In other cases examples have been identified where one or more of the subsidiary enclosures is overlain by ridge and furrow, indicating early abandonment of at least part of the site.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
2
P late 1 .1
M oated s ite S .E .
o f C ardington , S alop , S O 5 17947
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 1 .2
M oated s ite a t B leasby , L incs., T F 1 30847
P late 1 .3
M oated s ite a t W hinburgh , N orfolk , T G 0 08090
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor P late 1 .4 M oated s ite
a t F lintry , S tirlingshire
A gain , t here a re m oats w hich c learly c ut i nto t he e arthworks o f a m otte a nd b ailey c astle , s howing t he c hronological s equence o f t he t wo a sat Aughton , Y orkshire ( 11). I t i s p ossible t oo , t hough l ess e asy t o d emonstrate o n t he g round , t hat s ome o f t he m oats s ituated o n , o r v ery c lose t o t he s ettlement b oundary c an b e c hronologically r elated t o t he f ormation o f t hat b oundary ( Fig . 1 .1), b ut t here i s m uch w ork s till t o b e d one o n t his p oint . E vidence i s a ccumulating a lso f or t he c omparatively l ate d ate o f m oats o f s eignorial o rigin w hen t hese l ie f ar f rom t he v illage , i n c ontrast t o t hose l ocated a djacent t o t he v illage c hurch . T he w ork o f o thers i n t his v olume s hows t hat s imilar v ariety o f l ocation i s f ound o n t he C ontinent a nd t hat s ite p osition a nd c ondition h ave c hronological s ignificance i n m ost c ountries . T he d ebt o f a ll a rchaeologists t o a ir p hotography i s g reat . A s f ar a s m oats a re c oncerned n ot o nly h as i t h elped i n t he l ocation o f m any p reviously u nrecognised s ites , b ut i t h as s hown a pparently s imple m oats t o h ave u nsuspected a ttached e nclosures a s a t C ardington ( Pl . 1 .1); i t h as d emonstrated , e specially i n c onnection w ith d eserted s ettlements , t he r elationship o f s eignorial m oat t o p easant h ouse s ites ( Pl . 1 .2); i n e xceptional c ases s uch a s t hat o f W hinburgh m anor ( Pl . 1 .3) i t c an e ven s how t he a rrangement o f h ouse a nd a gricultural b uildings t o t heir s urrounding m oats . E xcavation T he e vidence f rom e xcavation i n t his c ountry h as b een a nalysed e lsewhere ( 12) a nd o nly n eeds h ere t o b e s ummarised . I n 1 974 i t w as e stimated t hat a lthough s ome 1 25 s ites h ad b een e xcavated , i n o nly a bout t hirty o f t hese h ad w ork b een o n a ny c onsiderable s cale; s everal m ore a dequate e xcavations h ave b een a dded i nt he l ast f ew s easons ( Fig . 1 .2). I n s pite o f t he l arge n umbers i nvolved , t he e xcavated m oats d o n ot r epresent a v alid s tatistical s ample f or t he c hoice o f s ite h as i nevitably b een i nfluenced b y l ocal a vailability o f m oney a nd o f a rchaeologists a nd h as b een b iased a lso t owards t he l arger a nd t enurially m ore i mportant s ites . N evertheless e xcavation r emains o ur b est s ource f or t he r elationship o f h ouse t o m oated e nclosure , f or t he n ature o f t he e nvironment d uring t he u se o f t he s ite a nd a bove a ll f or t he d evelopment a nd d ating o f t he m oated c omplex , l ittle i f a nything o f w hich c an b e l earnt f rom t he m ost s ophisticated f ield-survey m ethods . A rchaeological d ating , i t i s t rue, o an n ever b e v ery p recise , s ince i t d epends f or t he m ost p art o n p ottery a nd o n t he o ccasional c oin . B ut t he e xcavation o f a l arge n umber o f s ites h as p roduced c umulative e vidence t hat i s a lready r easonably r eliable . P rovisional r esults T aken t ogether t he v arious t ypes o f e vidence s eem t o l ead t o t hree m ain c onclusions . F irst t hat t he d istribution o f m oats a s s uch h as n o s trategic s ignificance i n E ngland . A s ac lass o f e arthwork t hey a re r emarkably s carce o n t he g round i n t he f our n orthern c ounties w here t he S cottish t hreat w as g reatest a t t he t ime w hen m oat c onstruction w as a t i ts a pogee . H ere t he t ower h ouse w ith s tone w alls t hree m etres o r s o i n t hickness w as p referred , t he e nclosing m oat o f l ow-land c ounties r eplaced i n m ost c ases b y a s tone w all r ound a ' barmekin ' ( 13). N either d o m oats s how a ny g reat c oncentration i n t he W elsh M arches , n or a re t hey p articularly Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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E xamples o f Y orkshire m oats s ituated o n o r n ear t he p arish b oundary . Aa nd C i n W ighill p arish o n i ts b order w ith W alton . I n A t he b oundary a ppears t o d eviate i n o rder t o i nclude t he m oat, i n t he c ase o f C t he m oat w as s ituated i n t he d eserted t ownship o f F ollifoot . I n B t he b oundary d ivides t wo s mall m oats o nce i n L econfield N ew P ark . T he e asternmost i s s till i n L econfield, t he w esternmost n ow i n C herry B urton p arish , i n t he a rea o nce o ccupied b y t he v illage o f R aventhorpe.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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n umerous o n o r n ear t he s outh c oast w here F rench r aiding w as t o b e e xpected d uring t he 1 4th c entury ( Fig . 1 .3). W e d o n ot k now y et w hether m oated s ites i n t he c ounty o f H olland , w here e xcavated e xamples h ave a m ore m ilitary a ppearance t han d o m ost o f o urs ( 14), h ave r eal s trategic s ignificance . A s ignificant p roportion o f E nglish m oats a re a lso , f rom a m ilitary p oint o f v iew , t actically i l l-placed , s o a s t o b e v ulnerable t o m issiles f rom a djacent h igh g round . U ntil r ecord c ards r eturned t o M .S .R .G . a re a nalysed t he n umbers i nvolved w ill n ot b e k nown , b ut i t s eems t hat a p arallel s ituation e xists i n F rance . T here a re o thers o f c ourse i n s trong p ositions , b ut i f w e r egard t he c lass a s aw hole i t i s i mpossible t o p ostulate a m ilitary p urpose e ven f or t he l arger m anorial s ites . D istribution a nd p osition a like d o n ot p resent t he s ort o f p attern t o b e e xpected i f t he m oats p er s e h ad r eal d efensive p urpose . T his g eneralisation m ay r equire m odification i n t he c ase o f as pecial c ategory o f s ite , w here t he m oat c onstruction i s a ssociated w ith a l icence t o c renellate . T hese r elatively s trong s ites a re p erhaps t he r eal a nalogies t o t he D utch f ortified m anors . S econdly , t he e vidence s hows t hat t here i s am arked c oncentration o f m oats i n l owland a reas a nd a s trong , t hough n ot e xclusive , p reference f or c laylands . I t s hows a reas o f h igh c oncentration i n E ast A nglia a nd t o a l esser e xtent i n n eighbouring E ssex a nd a m arked c oncentration i n t he W est M idlands . W hether a s imilar d istribution p attern i s t o b e f ound e lsewhere i n E urope i s n ot y et c ertain . N or a re w e s ure o f t he p recise a rea o ver w hich t he s ites a re t o b e e xpected . I n 1 975 S tiesdal r eported a s mall n umber o f s ites i n D enmark ( 15). W ere t hey p resent a lso i n n orthern S candinavia? P reliminary i nformation f rom P oland ( 16) s uggests t hat l ate m ottes r ather t han m oats w ere t he n orm t here a t t he r elevant t ime , b ut h ow f ar d id o ur k ind o f m oated e nclosure e xtend i n c entral E urope? A s ingle a erial p hotograph s uggests t he p ossibility , n o m ore , o f am oated s ite o n t he n orth I talian p lain , a gain , w e a re i n i gnorance o f t he s ituation i n s outhern E urope . B ut t here i s t he h ope t hat a c onference s uch a s t his , t hough i t c annot p rovide a ll o ur a nswers , m ay s timulate u s t o a sk t he r ight s ort o f q uestions a nd m ay s timulate o thers, f urther a field , t o l ook a t t heir o wn c ountrysides f or t he e xistence o f t his t ype o f s ite . T he l ast p oint b rought o ut b y t he e vidence , a s f ar a s i t y et g oes i n E ngland , i s t he a pproximate d ate r ange t o b e e xpected , w hich e xtends f rom t he l ate 1 2th c entury i nto t he p ost-medieval p eriod , w ith a p eak p eriod f or c onstruction b etween t he l ate 1 3th a nd m id 1 4th c enturies ( 17). I t i s p ossible t hat f urther w ork m ay e ventually c ause t he p eak t o b e p ushed f orward s omewhat , b ecause t he s ample o f m oats h as, a s w e h ave s aid , b een s omewhat b iased t owards t he l arger s eignorial s ites w hich m ay w ell c ome e arly i n t he s eries . I t i s o nly s ince t he f ormation o f a s pecialised r esearch g roup t hat t he n eed t o p lan m oat e xcavation o ver t he w hole c ountry w ith a n e ye t o t enurial p attern , d istribution p attern a nd m orphological p attern h as b ecome a pparent . T he p rogramme o f M .S .R .G ., t ogether w ith t he c urrent c hange i n a ttitude t owards w hat c onstitutes r escue a rchaeology s hould e nable u s t o m ake b etter u se o f s carce r esources i n t he f uture . M eanwhile w e h ave t o c onsider o ur p rovisional d ating i n t he l ight o f e xperience i n o ther c ountries . T here h as b een a g eneral t endency t o s uggest a s lightly e arlier b eginning i n p arts o f F rance a nd t he L ow C ountries , w hile i n N orth-West G ermany , t hough t he H ofesfeste s eem t o
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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M ap o f e xcavated m oats
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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p roliferate , l ike m oated s ites i n E ngland , d uring t he 1 3th a nd 1 4th c enturies , s ome s cholars a re i nclined t o d erive t he f ashion f rom s ites o f t he 9 th c entury ( 18). D ating o n t he C ontinent w ill o bviously i nfluence o ur v iews o n w hether w e a re t o r egard m oats a s a n i ndigenous d evelopment o r a s a n i ntroduction f rom o verseas . O rigin o f m oated s ites A s imilar p roblem a s t o o rigins w ill p resent i tself t o a rchaeologists i n e ach c ountry c oncerned . S hould w e s ee t he m oated s ites o f E urope a s r epresenting a p attern o f d iffusion , o r a s i ndependent d evelopments f rom e arlier e arthworks i n a c ommon s ocial a nd e ccaomic c limate? S ome t ime a go , i n c onnection w ith a s urvey i n Y orkshire , Is uggested t hat t hey m ight b e d erived f rom c astle m oats, p erhaps i nfluenced b y m onastic e xperience i n d yke c onstruction f or d rainage p urposes ( 19). T his w as b efore e vidence f rom o ther c ountries h ad b ecome a vailable . Ia m l ess i nclined n ow t o v iew t hem a s a n i ndigenous d evelopment . I f w e r egard t hem a s i nitially a s eignorial t ype , a t heory w e c onsider i n m ore d etail b elow , c onditions f or t heir i ntroduction i nto E ngland f rom N orthern F rance c ertainly e xisted a t t he r elevant p eriod . I t i s d ifficult , i n t hese d ays o f e xtreme n ational c onciousness , t o e nvisage w hat m ay b e c alled t he a -national n ature o f m edieval s ociety b efore t he 1 3th c entury . A fter t he N orman C onquest o f E ngland , n ot o nly b arons , b ut a lso t heir f ollowers , w ere r ewarded w ith E nglish l ands a nd t hey d id n ot t hereby g ive u p t heir a ncestral l ands o n t he c ontinent , w hether i n N ormandy , F landers o r B rittany . T here w as t hus a l and-owning a ristocracy w ith m anors o n e ither s ide o f t he C hannel ( 20) a nd i t w as n ot u ntil e arly i n t he 1 3th c entury t hat a c hoice h ad t o b e m ade b etween r etaining p ossessions o n t he C ontinent o r i n E ngland , b y w hich t ime t he f ashion o f m oat c onstruction w as a lready e stablished b oth i n N ormandy a nd E ngland , d emonstrated b y t he r esults a t R ubercy ( 21) o n o ne s ide o f t he C hannel a nd F owlmere o r S hifnall ( 22) o n t he o ther . E ven a fter K ing J ohn 's l oss o f N ormandy i t i s p ossible t o t race t hrough t he P atent R olls s ignificant c omings a nd g oings b etween b ranches o f t he s ame f amily w ho h ad o pted f or o ne a llegiance r ather t han t he o ther . I f m oated s ites c ame t o E ngland f rom N ormandy , am atter w hich i s b y n o m eans p roved , i t w ould b e a d iffusion i nto E ngland p arallel t o t he d erivation o f I rish s ites f rom E ngland t hrough t he m edium o f A ngloN orman s ettlers t hat h as b een s uggested b y B arry f or t he c ounties h e h as s tudied i n s outhern I reland ( 23). I t w ould n ot b e u nreasonable t o s uggest a s imilar o rigin f or t he W elsh m oats d iscussed i n t his v olume b y S purgeon . T he m oats o f S cotland a re s till r elatively u nknown . T hey i nclude h owever s uch s ites a s t hat a t F lintry ( Stirlingshire) ( Pl . 1 .4) ( 24), i ntermediate i n p rofile b etween m otte a nd m oat , t he h igh p latform v ery s imilar t o s ome f ound i n N orthern F rance ( as f or e xample S teenvoorde a nd l e D oulieu ( 25)) a s w ell a s m oats c haracteristic o f l owland E ngland . T here w ere m any A nglo-Norman s ettlers i n l owland S cotland; w e n eed t o k now h ow f ar t he a reas t hey s ettled c oincide w ith t he d istribution o f S cottish m oats b efore s uggesting a s imilar d iffusion f rom E ngland . B etween t he t erritory r epresented b y p resent-day B elgium a nd t he m edieval k ingdom o f F rance t here w ere v ery o bvious, i f d ifferent Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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D istribution m ap o f m oats
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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l inks s ince t he g reater p art o f F landers w as a f ief o f t hat k ingdom , w hile a gain t here i s e vidence t hat t he e astern f ringes o f F rance h ad p arallel l inks w ith w hat i s n ow W est G ermany . W herever , a mong t he c losely l inked s eignorial c lasses o f 1 2th a nd 1 3th-century E urope t his p articular f ashion o f e nclosing l arge h ouses h ad i ts o rigin , t here w ould b e n o d ifficulty i n i ts c rossing w hat a re n ow t he f rontiers o f n ation-states . T he e ase , i ndeed , w ith w hich s tyles i n a rt a nd a rchitecture , p rerogatives o f t he s eignorial c lass , t ravelled a round E urope , e ven t hough u ndergoing s ubtle c hanges o n t he w ay , c ontrasts s trongly w ith t he s low a nd v ery l ocalised d evelopment o f c rafts l ike p ottery o r c arpentry , n ormally i n p easant h ands. To s uggest t hat t he f ashion o f s urrounding r esidences b y w et m oats w here a t rue c astle w as u nnecessary o r u nobtainable c ould r eadily h ave s pread a cross E urope i s o ne t hing ; t o s how t heir s tarting p lace , a nd t he t ime a t w hich t hey b egan i s a nother m atter , a nd a lthough i t m ay b e r elevant t o r ecall t hat t he s econd p hase o f d er H usterknupp ( 26) b ears a r emarkable r esemblance t o o ur m oated s ites , m uch m ore e xcavation w ill h ave t o b e d one b efore w e k now w hether o r n ot t his i s f ortuitous .
W hatever t he o rigins , t here i s n o d oubt t hat i n t he h eyday o f t hese s ites t here a re r emarkable r esemblances b etween q uite c omplicated m oats i n d ifferent c ountries. F ig . 1 .4 s hows m oats i n t he A uxois p ublished b y M arland ( 27) c ompared w ith m oats i n t he c ounty o f E ssex . I t i s d ifficult t o b e s ure t hat t he r esemblance i s n ot a ccidental w hen t he n eed t o a ccommodate s eignorial r esidence , t ogether w ith t he g ardens a nd f arm b uildings n ecessary f or t heir s upport , m ust b e s imilar i n b oth c ountries . A longside t hese r esemblances w e m ust p ut t he s imilar m oat p rofiles i n S cotland a nd n orthern F rance a lready m entioned . M oated s ites w ith j ust t he s ame r esemblance t o a t runcated m otte c an a lso b e f ound , t hough i nfrequently , i n E ngland . I t w ould b e p ossible t o a rgue e ither f or s trong i nfluence , a nd p ossibly d iffusion a s b etween t he c ountries c oncerned , o r f or i ndependent e volution f rom e arlier m ottes. O nce a gain , m ore i nformation i s n eeded . W e h ave t o b ear i n m ind t hat e xcavated s ites h ave f requently s hown c hanges i n e arthwork s hape and s ize o ver t he y ears , a nd t hat s uch c hange s eldom s hows i n t he f inal e arthwork o utline . S uch c hange h as b een d emonstrated i n t he W est M idlands ( 28), a s i t h as o n e arlier e arthworks l ike t hose a t G oltho ( 29) o r H utton C olswain ( 30), a nd i t h as b een d emonstrated b y H oek f or s ites i n t he C ounty o f H olland . L arge s cale a nd m echanised e xcavation a re n eeded t o s how t his s ort o f d evelopment a nd e ven t hen s ome e volutionary p rocesses d estroy e vidence o f e arlier p hases , e specially w hen i t c omes t o t he e nlargement o f m oats . S pread o f m oats b elow t he s eignorial c lass I t h as b een g enerally a ssumed t hat m oated s ites w ere i n o rigin s eignorial . T his s eems r easonable s ince t hey a re e xpensive t o c onstruct a nd n eed c onstant s ervicing . B ut t his c onception i tself a dmits o f c onsiderable v ariety i n t enure f or i n E ngland m oats s urrounded m anors w hich b elonged t o t he k ing , t o t he g reater a nd l esser e cclesiastics , t o t he b arons, t o m en w ith a h andful o f m anors Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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C omparison b etween m oated s ites i n t he A uxois a nd E ssex
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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a s w ell a s t o t he ' country g entleman ' w ho h eld b ut o ne . I t i s n ot u nreasonable t o s uppose t hat t hey b egan s omewhere n ear t he t op o f t he s ocial h ierarchy a nd s pread g radually d ownward . I t i s r ecognised a lso t hat i n t his c ountry m any i mportant m en o wned m ore t han o ne moated s ite a mong t he d emesne m anors a t w hich t hey o ccasionally r esided . W as t his s o i n o ther c ountries? J anssen , f or e xample , h as w ritten o f t he s ubstantial n umber o f c astles h eld b y t he b ishop o f U trecht ( 31); d id h e a lso h ave d emesne m anors s urrounded b y m oats a s d id t he a rchbishop o f Y ork? O r f or t hat m atter d id t he F rench k ing , l ike t he t hree E dwards i n E ngland , s pend c onsiderable p eriods i n t he m edieval e quivalent o f ac ountry h ouse , w ith t he m inimal p rotection a fforded b y m oats , a nd s ometimes n ot e ven t hat , o r d id h e c onfine h is r esidences t o f ortified c astles? W hatever t he a nswer t o s uch q uestions , i t s eems o n t he p resent e vidence p robable t hat i n s ome c ountries m oat c onstruction d id n ot e xtend d ownwards a mong t he p opulation , f or m oats s o f ar i dentified i n F rance b elong t o t he s eignorial c lasses, i f w e c an s o d efine t hose i n p ossession o f m anors , w hile a s ite e xcavated a t E schelbronn n ear H eidelberg b elonged t o a f amily o f s imilar s tatus ( 32). I n N orth G ermany a nd i n F landers t he v ery n umber o f m oats p resent s uggest t hat t he f ashion s pread , a s i t d id i n E ngland , t o t he m ore p rosperous f reeholders . I dentification o f t hese s maller s ites h as b een h ampered i n t his c ountry b y t he f act t hat d ocumentary e vidence s eldom s urvives f or t hem , a nd b y t he f act t hat t hough m any o f t hem a re s ituated w ell a way f rom v illages , l ate m anor h ouses, m onastic g ranges a nd p ark l odges f requently o ccupy s imilar p ositions , w hich m akes f or c onfusion w hen t rying t o i dentify t hem o n t he g round . W hile h owever i t i s a lways d ifficult t o p in d own a n amed o wner t o a ny o ne s ub-manorial s ite , i t i s e asier t o i dentify a reas f or w hich t axation r eturns o r o ther d ocumentary s ources i ndicate t he p resence o f l arge n umbers o f f reemen c oinciding w ith a h igh i ncidence o f m oated s ites t hat c annot b e p ositively i dentified a s t hose o f m anors o r m oated g ranges . R oberts h as d one t his f or t he A rden d istrict o f W arwickshire ( 33), f or w hich h e a rgued c onvincingly t hat t he s ites r epresented a n a ssarting p attern . A s imilar c oncentration o f m oats i n E ast A nglia m ay r equire a d ifferent i nterpretation f or m uch o f E ast A nglia w as s ettled e arly a nd t he m oats d o n ot s eem t o c oincide w ith d istricts w here t here c ould h ave b een l arge a ssarts a t a n a ppropriate p eriod . I t i s p ossible t hat w e m ay b e l ooking a t am ore i ndirect p rocess w hereby t he m any f reemen w hose p resence i s a ttested a s e arly a s t he 1th c entury w ere i n a f avourable p osition t o t ake a dvantage o f a n e asy s upply o f l and a fter t he B lack D eath a nd t herefore w ell p laced t o b uild u p p roperties c apable o f s ustaining t he c ost o f m oating , h elped p erhaps b y p rofits f rom w ool o r c ereal p roduction . T his h owever i s s peculation , b ecause f or a ll t he m any m oats t o b e f ound i n E ast A nglia , r emarkably l ittle e xcavation o f t hem h as t aken p lace . T he n eighbouring c ounty o f E ssex a lso h as a l arge n umber o f m oats a nd t here i s s ome e vidence t hat a p roportion o f t hem m ay h ave b een c onstructed a s l ate a s t he f ifteenth c entury , f or H orcy , l ooking a t t he P oll T ax r eturns o f 1 379 f ound t hat a n umber o f p resent d ay f armsteads b ore t he n ame o f am an w ho i n t he r eturns p aid n o m ore t ax t han a s imple p easant ( 3 ) 4). E ither t here w ere p easants w ho w ere a ble t o h oodwink t he c ollectors - b y n o m eans a n i mpossible s ituation - o r t he f armsteads c oncerned w ere n ot m oated Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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u ntil a l ater d ate . I t s eems l ikely t hat t he u se o f m oats t o s urround f armsteads s hould i n g eneral b e l ater t han t heir u se a mong t he a ristocracy a nd t he k nightly c lass . A rchaeologically t his w ould b e av ery d ifficult m atter t o p rove a nd a v ery l arge n umber o f s uch s ites w ould h ave t o b e e xcavated b efore a ny s uch g eneral t endency c ould b e d etected . I n f act a mong t he f ew e xcavations o f s ub-manorial m oats t he d ating h as s eemed t o p arallel t hat o f l arger s ites. A t N ewstead i n Y orkshire ( 35), av ery m odest h ouse i n i ts f irst p hase , r eminiscent o f a p easant h ouse , t hough p resumably i n m ore s ubstantial m aterials, w as d ated t o t he l ate 1 3th c entury o n t he p ottery f ound . G oldsborough ( 36), i n t he s ame c ouuty a nd s imilarly d ated , p roduced a n e ven m ore m odest b uilding . A t t he o ther e nd o f t he c ountry P ivington ( Kent), p roduced s uccessive h ouses o f W ealden t ype ( 37) i n t he 1 3th a nd 1 4th c enturies, s imilar i n e very r espect t o h ouses o f t he s ame t ype w ithout m oated e nclosures . A t N ewstead t here w ere b uildings w hich c ould b e i nterpreted a s h aving a n a gricultural f unction , b ut e xcavation o n t he o ther t wo s ites d id n ot e xtend b eyond t he m oated e nclosure . Y et a t t his e nd o f t he s cale a griculture m ust s urely h ave b een t he m ain p reoccupation o f t he o wner . I t m ust t hen b e a ccepted t hat m oated s ites i n E ngland s pread d ownwards f rom t he s eignorial c lass , b ut t he d ate a t w hich t his o ccurred i s u nknown . T he s pread o f m oats t o s ites o f o ther k inds I n E ngland , i n a reas o f h igh m oat i ncidence , t here i s at endency f or t he p ractice t o s pread o utwards t o i nclude a c onsiderable v ariety o f s ite . M onastic g ranges c an b e m oated; s o t oo t he m onasteries t hemselves; h ospitals , c hurches a nd c hapels ( occasionally w ithin t he s ameenclosure a s t he m anor h ouse), e ven w indmills a re t o b e f ound w ith w ide w et m oats. I n e ach a nd e very c ase t he u nmoated e xamples o f ag iven c lass o utnumber m oated e xamples b y av ery l ong w ay . O f t he v arious c ategories t hat h ave t o b e c onsidered , i t i s p robably i n c onnection w ith m onastic g ranges t hat i nternational c o-operation w ill p rove m ost f ruitful , f or t he r eligious o rders , w ith a f ew m inor e xceptions , e mbraced a ll C hristendom . V isiting b etween t he v arious h ouses o f e ach o rder w as f requent s o t hat t he a rrangements a t t he d ifferent g ranges c ould h ardly b e u nknown . W e c annot , o f c ourse , e xpect t he s ame s ort o f u niformity t hat c haracterises t he m onasteries t hemselves , e specially i n s uch o rders a s t he C istercians, f or t he g ranges - t hat i s t he m onastic f arms - d o n ot h ave s imilar h istories. N ot o nly w as t here a d ifference b etween t he r equirements o f t he v arious o rders , b ut g range d evelopment d iffered e ven a mong t hose o f a s ingle m onastic h ouse . P latt ( 38) h as d emonstrated v arying w ays i n w hich m onastic e states w ere b uilt u p , o ften o ver a c onsiderable p eriod . D ifferences o n t he g round c an s imilarly b e d emonstrated b y a c omparison b etween t he e xcavated m oated g ranges a t B adby ( 39) a nd S toke G oldington ( 40). M oated g ranges a re a lready k nown t o h ave e xisted o n t he C ontinent; w hether t hey f ormed a s s mall a p roportion o f t he v ery l arge n umber o f m onastic f arms a s t hey d id i n E ngland i s n ot y et k nown . T he M .S .R .G . h as n ot y et w orked o ut t heir n umbers o r t he d istribution o f m oated e xamples a s b etween t he m onastic o rders, n or i dentified t hem a ll o n t he g round . T his i s a f ield i n w hich t here i s m uch t o b e d one i n e very c ountry . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Late developments on moated sites The late medieval period saw, if our interpretation of the evidence is correct, a substantial decline in the number of new moated sites. This should cause no surprise for the population had declined considerably during the 14th century and there is no reason to suppose a marked change in relative numbers as between the social classes, even when the upward movement of the more able freeholders is taken into account. O ne would expect that established moats would change hands rather than that a large number of new ones would be constructed. The general decline that ourevidence suggests is matched by a drop in the numbers of licences to crenellate which accompanied some of the larger moated sites, and these licences have the advantage that they can be dated with precision. The 15th century was marked however by considerable development in the conception of what a moat should be like at the seignorial end of the scale and the development is paralleled,though the style is different, by that in other European countries, as would be expected in different national conditions at this period. The Wasserburgen of northern Germany have very wide multiple moats surrounding several courts, each with its special function. In France the earthworks of Verrieres, described in 1449 as the 'de nouvel ... edifee' (41) suggest a miniature version of contemporary French chateaux with a number of round towers along a curtain wall. The English version of the Wasserburg is on a smaller scale, but the parallel to Verri�res in English style is surely Kirby Muxloe (42) with a licence to crenellate in 1480, described by contemporaries as a fortified manor house, as was Verrieres,. but with square towers flanking its curtain wall. At this time the moated island was often enlarged to accommodate more or bigger buildings as has been demonstrated at Haddlesey manor (43) or at the Manor of the More, Rickmansworth (44), where enlargement of the moated area probably accompanied the licence to crenellate of 1426. These large, late moats fall into two categories, those where the whole site is, as it were, new planted, even though it may incorporate some old work, where the whole establishment was conceived as a single unit and a different type that could be called an 'organic' moat, that developed and changed bit by bit, along with the enclosed house, according to family needs and family circumstances, through the long centuries. Since both types often retain standing structures, and some are depicted on early drawings or maps, or described in near contemporary documents, a comparison between the versions evolved in different countries is less difficult than for an earlier period. In conclusion there are one or two points that are worth ma.king in relation to the study of moated sites. We began, in this country, to study this type of site rather earlier than has been the case on the Continent. We are conscious however of many mistakes, some of which were unavoidable given the history of excavation in England. So much excavation has depended purely on chance and has been on too small a scale to give useful results. We know now that we need to think in much larger terms. Historically, more will be understood about the causes of moating from a study of estate patterns where the estate includes demesne manor houses both moated and unmoated than from concentration on isolated sites. As far as fieldwork goes we are already, I think, on the right lines, with a record card that should cover conditions in the whole country, and which Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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r equires t hat t he m oats s hould b e s een i n t heir w hole e nvironmental c ontext. H and i n h and w ith i ts f ieldwork p rogramme , t he M .S .R .G . i s e ndeavouring t o c o-ordinate a p olicy o f s cheduling t he b est e xamples i n e ach c ounty , a nd w ould l ike t o g ive t o t he m ost o utstanding m oats t he f urther p rotection o f G uardianship u nder t he D epartment o f t he E nvironment . E xcavation r aises m ore d ifficult p roblems , f or c omplete e xcavation o f am oat a nd i ts a ttendant e nclosures i s av ery l arge u ndertaking . I t w ill c over a c onsiderable a rea a nd s ometimes s how g reat c omplexity . T he r ecent r eorganisation o f B ritish a rchaeology , e minently d esirable i n s o m any r espects, m akes i t m ore d ifficult t o e mbark o n s uch p rojects w ithin t he f ramework o f l ocal , r ather t han n ational p riorities, g iven t hat i t c ould p re-empt a s izeable p ortion o f l ocal r esources o ver m ore t han o ne s eason . N evertheless c omplete e xcavation , e ven t hough o f f ewer s ites, i s c learly d esirable . L astly , i n o ur s tudy o f m oated s ites , w e h ave t o l earn t o t hink i n E uropean r ather t han i n n ational t erms - t o c onsider o ur m oats i n t he w idest p ossible c ontext . O nly s o w ill i t b e p ossible t o f it t he m oats o f a ny o ne c ountry i nto a g eneral f ramework w hich w ill i lluminate t heir d egree o f d ependence o n t enurial p atterns, e conomic c ircumstances o r p olitical c onditions .
N OTES 1 A s a t C hingford , E ssex , H istorical M anuscripts C ommission , 9 th r eport , D ean a nd C hapter o f S t P aul 's M SS , p . 3 5. 2
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3 S t P aul 's L ibrary , A , B ox 6 3, E xtent o f t he m anor o f S andon .
4 O btainable f rom A . A berg , R .C .H .M . ( Eng .), F ortress H ouse , 2 3 S avile R ow , L ondon . 5
A . O swald, ' Excavation o f aT hirteenth-century W ooden B uilding a t W eoley C astle', M edieval A rchaeology V I-VII ( 1962-3), p p . 1 091 99.
6
W . B rown ( ed.), Y orkshire I nquisitions ( Yorkshire A rchaeological S ociety R ecord S eries, X XIII, 1 898), p . 2 39.
7 S t P aul 's L ibrary , A , B ox 5 2, R 1 . 8 R . A . B rown , H . M . C olvin , A . J . T aylor , T he H istory o f t he K ing 's W orks ( London , 9
1 963), I I , p . 9 21.
M . B ur , V estiges d 'habitat s eigneurial f ortifi d u B as- P ays A rgonnais ( Cahiers d es L ettres e t S ciences H umaines d e l 'Universitie d e R eims, A .R .E .R .S . 1 972), p . 1 05.
1 0 R eedness T ithe m ap , B orthwick I nstitute o f H istorical R esearch , Y ork . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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1 .
H . E . J ean l e P atourel , T he M oated S ites o f Y orkshire , f or M edieval A rchaeology M onograph S eries, 5 ), p . 1 8 .
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H . E . J ean l e P atourel , ' The e xcavation o f M oats ' M edieval M oated S ites , p p . 3 6-42 .
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F . G raham , T he C astles o f N orthumberland ( Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1 976), p assim .
1 4
C . H oek , ' De o ntwikkeling g edurende d e d ertiende e euw v an h et v erdedigbarebakstenen h uis i n h et M aasmondgebied ', H olland, 5 , ( Oct . 1 972), p p . 2 01-239.
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H . S tiesdal , ' Moats i n D enmark ', M oated S ites R esearch G roup R eport N o . 2 , p p . 1 3-14.
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C . L orren ' La d emeure s eigneuriale d e R ubercy ', C hateau G aillard , V III ( Caen , 1 977), p p . 1 85-192.
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T . B . B arry , M edieval M oated S ites o f S .E . I reland ( B .A .R . 1 977, p p . 1 76-179.
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R oyal C ommission o n H istorical M onuments ( Scotland), S tirlingshire , I ( Edinburgh , 1 963), p . 1 85 a nd P l. 5 2.
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G . L efranc , V estiges d e m otte f eodales e n F landres i nterieure , ( A .P . A .R . L ille, 1 976), L e D oulieu a nd S teenvoorde ( unpaginated).
2 6
A . H errnbrodt , D er H usterknupp ( Beihefte d er B onner J ahrbücher, C ologne, 1 958), p p . 4 6-52.
2 7
I . M arland , ' Les m aison-fortes d e l 'Auxois ', H ommage a G en vieve C hevrier e t A lain G eslan, ( Centre d ' Archeologie M dievale d e S trasbourg , 1 975), p p . 6 4-70 .
2 8
B . K . R oberts , ' Moated S ites i n M idland E ngland ', T rans . B irmingham A rchaeological S oc, L XXX , 1 962 , p p . 2 6-27.
2 9
G . B eresford , ' The E xcavation o f G oltho , L incs .', C hateau G aillard , V III ( 1977), p p . 5 3-4.
3 0
M . W . T hompson , ' Excavation o f am edieval m oat a t M oat H ill , A nlaby ', Y orkshire A rchaeological J ournal , X XXIX ( 1956), p p . 6 7-85.
c it .
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L obbedey , o p .
( Society
1 9.
i n n ote 1 5, p p .
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1 976), p p .
1 90-20 1.
4 1.
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3 5,
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H . L . J anssen , ' The C astles o f t he B ishop o f U trecht ', o p . i n n ote 2 1, p p . 1 35 -1 57 .
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B . K . R oberts , 3 4-8 .
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I . H orcy , ' The M oated H omesteads o f E ssex ', u ndergraduate d issertation f or N ottingham U niversity .
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E xcavated b y P . V . A ddyman , p lans i n M edieval A rchaeology , V III ( 1964), p . 2 75 .
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3 8
C . P latt , T he M onastic G range i n M edieval E ngland ( London , p assim .
3 9
E xcavated b y M . G ray , p . 1 92 .
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O p . c it . i n n ote 9 , p .
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i n n ote 1, p p . 5 1-58 .
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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M OATED S ITES I N W ALES b y C .
J . S purgeon
I ntroduction I olo G och 's p oem d escribing O wain G lyndwr 's m otte a t S ycharth i s w ell k nown ( 1). A nother p oem ' C ywyddi G anmol P läs S yr S ion M echain ' PA P oem i n P raise o f t he H all o f S ir J ohn M echain '), w ritten b y G utto 'r G lyn s hortly b efore h is d eath i n a bout 1 4 93 , d escribes a m oated s ite ( 2). I ts o wner , S ir J ohn M echain , w as P arson o f L landrinio , am ember o f t he l ordly W elsh h ouse o f M echain I scoed, a nd a f avoured h ost o n G utto 's b ardic c ircuit . S ir J ohn w as ' .. u nstinted i n g ifts .. t he P arson t hat s pares n or p urse n or c ost .. a nd t o t he m ead .. a dds m uch g old . T here h ath n ot b een i n P owysland a c hurchman t hat d ispensed t he w ine m ore f reely '. W ith d ue a llowance f or t he m ead, a nd G utto 's c ustomary f ulsomeness , t he p oem h as m uch t o i nterest u s: T he C ourt o f o aken t imber a nd t he H all B y w ater g irt a m oated f ort p rovide; A l ake s urrounds t he w hole i n s hapely g uise . T he H all s uffices f or a t housand g uests, Ah all o n l and , i n T rinio 's I sle , O n a f air b ank u pon t he r iver 's b rink , Ah all s ufficient f or a ll P owysland . B right a s d ay-dawn i s t he f ort o f D eytheur , O n f airest s ite, u pon t he c hurchyard b ound , T he M inister o f C od h is t ent h as p itched . T his h all i s l ong a nd l arge a nd n ew , N ine r ooms b eneath o ne r oof , a nd w hitened a ll , Aw all o f s tone u prises t o i ts h eight A nd a ll n ine r ooms o ne t ower o 'ertops; A L ouvre t urns t he r ainpour f rom t he r oof , A nd c urtains f air t he r ood-loft d eck . Ap arlour f or t he h ost w ho s hares t he w ine , Ap enthouse f or t he c ook , ap antry a nd k itchen ; Ah ost o f r ooms , a b ridge t he w ater s pans; T he m ansion 's r oofed w ith t iles , w hat h all w ith i t C ompares ? H ere , l ate i n t he 1 5th c entury b eside L landrinio c hurchyard ( Mont .), w e h ad t he P arson 's m oat , f ed b y t he S evern . I ts b ridge a nd g ateway l ed i nto t he ' Court o f o aken t imber ', p resumably a p alisaded y ard , o r o ne r anged b y h alf-timber b uildings . T he n ew s tone h all w as w hitewashed a nd h ad a l ouvred r oof o f t iles; w ithin G utto n o d oübt s ang h is p raises f rom t he c urtained m instrels ' g allery o f t he o pen h all . T here w as a p arlour a nd t hree s ervice Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 9
r ooms , i ncluding k itchen a nd p antry . M ost s triking , a nd r ising a bove t he h all , w as t he t ower , o nly c ertainly p aralleled a t t he m oated L lys E dwin ( Flints., F ig . 2 .19). T oday n othing r emains , a nd t he s ite i s m arked b y as mall f ield n amed ' The S anctuary ' ( 3). L landrinio i s o ne o f t en v anished m oated s ites i ncluded o n t he m ap e ' ig . 2 .1) o n t he b asis o f s econdary e vidence . T he m ap , r evising t hat o f 1 975 ( 4), p lots t he d istribution o f 1 28 s ites; s eventy-seven c ertain o r p robable s ites a re s hown a s b locked s ymbols; f ifty p ossible s ites a s o pen s ymbols. O ne e xceptionally l ate s ite h as i ts o wn d iamond s ymbol . T he s hape o f t he s ymbols r eadily d ifferentiates t he 19 r ectangular s ites f rom t he e ight c ircular o nes. T here a re c learly m ore m oated s ites i n W ales t han w as s uspected a s r ecently a s 1 963 , w hen t he a cceptance i nto g uardianship o f a n e xample i n M onmouthshire w as p artly j ustified b y t heir p resumed r arity ( 5) m ore , a lso, t han t he f ifty t o s ixty e stimated b y E mery i n 1 969 ( 6 ). T hey m ainly l ie i n t he r ich l owlands o f t he e astern b order a nd t he S outh W ales s eaboard. P ersonal k nowledge i n t he f ield i s c onfined t o t he m oated s ites o f M ontgomeryshire a nd G lamorgan . E lsewhere t he C ommission 's I nventories f or n ine c ounties ( 7), t ogether w ith a l ittle u npublished m aterial o n i ts f iles , p rovided a s tarting p oint , t hough t he s even e arlier I nventories a re n either r eliable n or c omprehensive i n t he m atter o f m oated s ites . M ore c omprehensive a re t he r ecord c ards o f t he O rdnance S urvey w hich f urnish m any p lans a nd c omparatively r ecent a ccounts o f t heir c ondition . T he p ublished l iterature o n W elsh s ites i s v ery s cant. T he o nly r egional s urvey i s t hat f or M aelor , t he d etached p ortion o f F lintshire, p ublished b y P ratt i n 1 964 ( 8 ). O f t hree e xcavated s ites, r eports a re a vailable f or o nly t wo , w hile f ield a ccounts o f i ndividual s ites, o ther t han t hose o f t he I nventories , a re a vailable f or o nly f ive s ites ( 9). F or s ome s ites t he a ir p hotographs o f t he C ambridge U niversity c ollection ( 10), a nd t he u npublished f ield n otes o f R ichard K ay a nd R . J . O wens ( 11), h ave y ielded s ome u seful i nformation . F or M onmouthshire M r J eremy K night h as k indly r evised a nd a dded t o m y i nformation . T he l imited a nd u neven n ature o f p resent e vidence p recludes a ny d etailed c lassification f or t he W elsh s ites . I nstead, a n e ffort h as b een m ade t o a ssemble a ll a vailable p lans , a nd r e-draw t hem a t a c ommon s cale ( Figs. 2 .3-20). E ighty-one p lans h ave b een f ound a nd t hese a re a ssembled i n t heir h istoric p re-1974 c ounty g roupings, e ach w ith ac ounty d istribution m ap s howing t he 6 00 f t . c ontour . T he c aption o f e ach s ite p lan r epeats i ts s ymbol o n t he m ain d istribution m ap ( F ig 2 .1) t o r eadily d ifferentiate p robable a nd p ossible s ites, t ogether w ith i ts n umber a nd a n a bbreviated t wo-letter d esignation o f i ts c ounty. U nless o therwise a ttributed , ap lan d erives f rom t he O rdnance S urvey . T hroughout t he t ext a sterisks m ark t he n ames o f t hose s ites f or w hich ap lan w ill b e f ound i n t he r elevant c ounty g roup i llustration . P roblems o f i dentification S ome u nvisited s ites p osed p roblems o f c lassification. F irstly , t here w ere s even s mall r ectangular s ites s ometimes r egarded a s Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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R omano-British . B ryn E ryr* a nd H en D refor* a re u nclassified i n t he A nglesey I nventory , b ut w ith a n i nclination t o r egard t hem a s R oman ( 12). T hey l ie, h owever , o n w et g round a nd h ave r aised i nteriors a nd w et d itches. D espite a s tray m ortarium s herd r eported f rom B ryn E ryr, t hese s ites s eem p ossible m oats. T he s ame c an b e s aid f or l ow-lying W aun W ithan* ( Carus .) ( 13) w hich a lso h as a r aised i nterior , a nd p erhaps E ithin M an* ( Ca ms .) ( 14), t hough t his i s o n e levated g round . I n M onmouthshire P en-Llwyn M awr* ( 15), t hough i t h as y ielded a R omano-British r otary q uern , i s i ndistinguishable f rom N ewbridge M oat* i n t he s ame c ounty , w hich i s av ery p robable m oated s ite w ith i ts c ounterscarp b ank d evised t o r etain a w et m oat ( 16). P en-Llwyn M awr* , t herefore , t ogether w ith t he s tream-fed C oed C wnwr* ( 17), a re h ere r egarded a s p ossible m oats. O ther p ossible m oats m ight b e c lassed b y s ome a s a bberant e arthwork c astles. H en C astell* ( Brecs .) ( 18), c ould b e r egarded a s as quare m otte w ith i ts c onfined p latform s urmounted b y v estiges o f as mall t ower . I ts m oat , h owever , i s s till p artly w et , a nd i t i s o verlooked b y h igher g round t o t he s outh . D inas y P rif* ( Caerns .) ( 19) i s e xceptional f or t he s mall m ounds a t e ach o f i ts a ngles, a nd a v ague p arallel m ay b e s een a t L landre G aer* ( Carms.) ( 20), w ith i ts c lubbed s outh a ngle , t hough h ere t he e levated s carp-edge s iting i s p erhaps i n f avour o f t he c astle r ingwork s uggested b y K ing . G reen L ane ( Flints ., s ee n ote 9 ) i s af urther d ubious s ite w here n o c onclusive e xplanation h as b een g iven f or t he s mall d itched r ectangular m ound s et w ithin a l arge r ectilinear e nclosure . F inally , n ear Y stum E nlli m otte ( Carms.) i s as quare e ar t hwork w ith r aised i nterior s et a gainst t he R iver L oughor , a nd w ith m ounds a t i ts o uter a ngles w hich h ave b een t aken t o i ndicate f ormer t owers ( 21). P las y n D inas ( Monts.) i s a nother e xceptional s ite, c reated f rom am oraine f ormerly c lasped b y a l oop o f t he V yrnwy ( 22). I t w as a m anorial c entre h eld i n t he 1 4th c entury b y T homas a p R hodri a nd h is f rancophile h eir O wain L lawgoch , t he Y evan d e G alles o f F roissart 's C hronicles. T he n atural s trength o f t his s ite m akes i t d ifficult t o d raw t he l ine b etween a c astle a nd a m oated s ite. T o d igress b riefly , O wain L lawgoch i nherited D inas m anor i n 1 363 , f orfeiting i t i n 1 369 o n h is a dherence t o t he F rench . A s g reat-nephew o f L lywelyn t he L ast , t he F rench s upported h is a bortive i nvasion o f W ales w hich r eached G uernsey , b ut t here d issipated i ts C eltic f ervour i n s ong a nd r hyme. A fter e xplc its u nder d u G uesclin , O wain w as a ssass inated a t M ortagnes ur-mer b y J ohn L amb , aS cot i n t he p ay o f t he C rown ( 23). I n g eneral , w here a p ossible m oated s ite p ossesses a b ank o r c ounterscarp b ank , p artial o r c omplete , t his o ften c learly d ifferentiates i t f rom a c astle r ingwork . A lmost i nvariably f or a c astle, s uch b anks a re s tronger t owards t he m ore v ulnerable s ide. W ith m oated s ites t his d efensive c haracteristic w ill o ften b e r eversed , w ith t he b ank o r b anks g reater o n , o r c onfined t o , t he s tronger f ront f acing f alling g round, p urely t o r etain a w et m oat , a nd l esser o r n on-existant f acing r ising g round . G ood e xamples o f t his c haracteristic a re L lysworney* ( Glam ., b elow , p . 3 8), a nd t he M onmouthshire s ites o f N ewbridge* ( above, a nd n ote 1 6) a nd M oynes C ourt* ( p .
3 7 a nd n ote 5 1).
P las B aglan ( Glam .) i s o ne c laimed m oated s ite t hat h as b een r ejected . H ere t he s trong s pur-sited e arthwork i s s urely a n a berrant Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 2 3
m otte a nd b ailey o f t he 1 2th c entury n ative l ords o f A fan . T he s quare p latform s erves a s am otte a nd r etains c lear t races o f a r ectilinear h all o r t ower w ith w alls f ive f eet t hick p ierced b y s played e mbrasures ( 24). T wo c ircular s ites i n R adnorshire, C ascob* ( 25) a nd O ld R adnor C astle* ( 26), m ight b e r egarded a s c astle r ingworks, b ut b oth a re i ncluded h ere a s p ossible m oated s ites . T here i s l ess d oubt a bout t he r emaining c ircular m oated s ites i n W ales , o f w hich t he l ittle L letty E arthwork* ( Monts.), s et a gainst a m arsh , w as p articularly i nteresting . I ts m echanical l evelling w as o bserved i n 1 973 , a nd t he s o-called b arrow w ithin i t w as s een t o b e ah umble c lay-walled l ong h ut o f m cdieval f orm ( 27). W e h ave h ere w hat m ight b e r egarded a s t he l owest f orm o f m oated s ite , f or w hich t he o bsolete ' homestead m oat' d esignation m ight r easonably b e r estored . T he s earch f or p arallels m ight b egin , p erhaps, w ith t he l owly l ittle ' moated f armstead ' a t D ebenham i n S uffolk ( 28). T he p roblem o f d ifferentiating m oated s ites f rom s tone c astles h as n ot b een g reat , t hough s ome m ight d ispute t he i nclusion o f R oche C astle* ( Carms .; s ee n ote 9 ), P encoed C astle* ( Mon .) ( 29), a nd L lys E dwin* ( Flints .; p ages 4 6-9 a nd n ote 7 1). T he f irst t wo r etain t races o f l ignt c urtain w alls f lanked b y m ural t owers , wile L lys E dwin ( F i6 2 .19), i llustrated a s d rawn a fter i ts e xcavation i n 1 934 a nd a s s een r ecently b y t he O rdnance S urvey , w as c learly c loser t o ac astle t han t he o thers, y et e ven t here m ilitary c redibility i s l acking i n c omparison w ith s uch m inor W elsh c astles a s W eobley ( Glam .) ( 30). W elsh m oated s ites i n t heir c ounty s ettings : c haracteristics
s iting a nd g eneral
O n o ur s econd m ap ( F ig . 2 .2) t he d istribution i s b roken d own i nto t he t hirteen c ounties. L arge a nd s mall f igures g ive r espectively t he p robable a nd p ossible t otals f or e ach . T he r arity o f m oated s ites i n t he w est i s c lear i n t he f igures , w ith b ut o ne p robable s ite i n e ach o f t he c ounties o f A nglesey , C aernarvon , M erioneth a nd C ardigan. T he s ame f our c ounties b etween t hem h ave b ut f our p ossible s ites. P redictably t he r icher s outh-west c ounties o f P embroke a nd C armarthen f are r ather b etter , w ith c ombined t otals o f e ight a nd n ine r espectively . O verall , h owever , t he s ix w estern c ounties h ave a c ombined t otal o f o nly t wenty-five o f t he 1 28 s ites , o r t wenty-six w ith t he c urious l ate s ite i n C ardiganshire. I n c ontrast t he s even e astern c ounties p rovide t he r emaining 1 02 s ites, a nd e ven t hese a re i nvariably d istributed m ainly e astwards w ithin t hose c ounties. I n A nglesey ( F ig . 2 .3) , b esides t he t wo p ossible s ites c onsidered a bove ( p . 23 ) a nd c laimed b y s ome a s R oman , t here i s o nly T regarnedd* ( 31). T his i s a l arge m utilated s ite o f l ittle u nder t wo a cres , r eputedly t he s eat o f t he a nglophile S ir G ruffydd L lwyd , w ho s erved b oth E dward I a nd E dward I I i n t hese p arts ( 32). N o c ounty i n W ales i s s o d evoid o f m ountainous t errain , a nd , a s t he a ncient g ranary o f W ales , m ore s eemingly s uited t o m oat c onstruction, y et t here i s b ut o ne p robable s ite , a nd t hat t he r eputed h ome o f a n a nglicised n ative. C aernarvonshire(E iz . 2 .4),
t he h eartland o f W elsh i ndependence ,
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c an b oast e ven l ess: o ne p robable a nd o ne p ossible s ite. B oth a re b elow t he 6 00 f t . c ontour w hich i s i ndicated o n e ach c ounty m ap . T y M awr* ( 33) i s t he o nly e xample e ncountered i n W ales w hich i s f urnished o verall w ith a d ouble m oat , t hough L lys E dwin ( Flints; F ig . 2 .19), a nd t he D enbighshire s ites o f H enllan U rban* ( 34) a nd P las H eaton* ( 35) a re d ouble m oated o n o ne s ide o nly . I n M erionethshire ( Fig . 2 .5) t he o ne-site ' distribution m ap' i s n ot w ithout s ignificance . I n t his m ountainous a rea t he s olitary m oated s ite l ies i n t he u pper D ee V alley , am ere e ight m iles f rom t he E nglish b order , a nd a n o bvious o utlier o f t he c oncentration o f F lintshire a nd D enbighshire s ites f urther d own t he v alley . I t w as r eputedly t he s econdary s eat o f O wain G lyndwr , i n h is m anor o f G lyndyfrdwy , w hich w as d estroyed b y P rince H enry i n 1 403 ( 36). I t s hould b e r emembered t hat G lyndwr , b efore t he n ationalist f ervour o f h is l ater l ife, h ad l ed a t horoughly a nglicised e xistence, h aving s tudied l aw a t W estminster , p articipated i n R ichard I I's B erwick c ampaign o f 1 385, a nd m arried a d aughter o f a j udge o f t he C ourt o f t he K ing 's B ench . C redible a re t he w ords h e i s g iven b y S hakespeare: F or I w as t rain 'd u p i n t he E nglish C ourt; W here, b eing b ut y oung , If ramed t o t he h arp M any a n E nglish d itty l ovely w ell , A nd g ave t he t onge a n h elpful o rnament . ( 37) C ardiganshire ( Fig . 2 .6) h as o nly o ne p robable m edieval m oated s ite, n amely C oed L lys* ( 38). T he p ossible s ite , L lys A rthur ( 39), ar emote v alley-bottom s ite a t 9 70 f t. a bove s ea-level i n t he P linlimons , i s b est e xplained a s ag range o f A bbey C wmhir , w hich h ad g razing r ights i n t he a rea. T here i s l ittle r emarkable a bout t he k nown m oated s ites o f P embrokshire ( Fig . 2 .7), o r t heir d istribution , e xcept t he c ontrasting s ize o f t hose i llustrated. H ere, i n ac omparatively r ich a rea, f irmly h eld f rom t he e arliest N orman i ncursions, o ne m ight h ave e xpected m ore s ites. C astel C och* ( 40), t he m edieval ' Newhouse', i s o f p articular i nterest f or t he s ubstantial s hell o f a l ate m edieval h ouse w ithin i t . I t i s a lso t he l argest s ite i n t he c ounty, a t o ver t hree q uarters o f a n a cre. T he a creages k nown f or a ll b ut o ne s ite a verage r ather o ver a q uarter o f a n a cre. I n C armarthenshire ( Fig . 2 .8) w e m ight a gain h ave e xpected a t hicker d istribution o n t he f ertile s outhern l owlands. O nly t wo p ossible s ites l ie o ver 4 00 f t ., a nd a part f rom t he t hree-quarter a cre s ite o f R oche C astle* ( see n ote 9 ) a ll e nclose a bout a q uarter o f a n a cre. T urning t o t he e astern c ounties, F lintshire ( Fig . 2 .9), t he s mallest W elsh c ounty , c ontains t he l argest n umber o f k nown m oats, a nd o f i ts t wenty-two s ites, e ighteen a re f ound i n t he s mall d etached p ortion c alled M aelor . P ratt a rgued w ith c onviction t hat t he M aelor s ites r epresented t he 1 4th c entury c olonisation o f d ense w oodland ( 41). W e m ight a dd , i n s upport , t hat t he a pparent a bsence f rom M aelor o f b oth e arthwork c astles o f a n e arlier p eriod, a nd o f s tone c astles, c ertainly m ight s uggest l ate s ettlement b y l esser g entry . A ll s ites i n F lintshire a re b elow 4 00 f t ., a nd o ver h alf Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
2 9
b elow 2 00 f t . T he a verage a creage o f t he f ourteen f or w hich i nformation i s a vailable i s t hree-quarters o f a n a cre , t he l argest W elsh c ounty a verage e ncountered. T he B erwyn M ountains d ivide t he c entral D enbighshire m oated s ites o f t he C lwyd V alley f rom t hose o f t he l owlands t o t he e ast ( Fig . 2 .10). T he k nown a creage o f s even o f t hem a verages o ut a t r ather o ver a q uarter o f a n a cre, s trangely w ell b elow t he n eighbouring F lintshire a verage o f t hree-quarters o f a n a cre w hich i s n ot a ttained b y a ny o f t he s even . T he M ontgomeryshire s ites ( Fig . 2 .11) o ccupy t he l ower g round f lanking t he S evern . A ll b ut L letty E arthwork ( p . 2 4, a nd n ote 2 7) a re r ectilinear , a nd r ange i n s ize f rom t he p ossible s ite o f P las y n D inas ( p . 2 3, a nd n ote 2 2), e nclosing o ne a nd t hree-quarters o f a n a cre, t o t he l ittle N antcribba* ( 42), a c ertain m oated s ite o f l ess t han h alf a n a cre. M ost o ther s ites i n t he c ounty a re l ittle l arger t han N antcribba . O ld M ills M oat* i s ar are e xample o f a s ite w ith t races o f a n a nnexe ( 43). R adnorshire ( Fig . 2 .12) i s a lmost e ntirely a bove 6 00 f t., a nd i ts s ites a re u nderstandably t he h ighest i n W ales . A ll b ut o ne l ie a bove 6 00 f t ., a nd t hree a re o ver 1 000 f t . A lso n oticeable a re t he f our c ircular s ites, h alf t he k nown t otal f or W ales. T he f inest s ite i n t he c ounty i s O ld M ynachdy* ( i .e . ' Old M onks ' h ouse ') w hich w as a g range o f A bbey C wmhir ( 44). T his s ite r etains t races o f i nternal s tone b uildings, a nd o thers s eem t o b e i ndicated e xternally n ear b oth e astern c orners. E xcluding o ne e xtraordinary p ossible s ite o f o ver s ix a cres ( p . 4 5 a nd F ig . 2 .18) t he R adnorshire s ites a verage r ather u nder h alf a n a cre i n e nclosed a rea . B reconshire ( Fig . 2 .13), t hough a lmost a s d ominated b y h igh g round a s R adnorshire , i s o pened u p t o t he e ast b y t he W ye a nd t he U sk v alleys. T he W ye f orms i ts n orthern b order , w hile f urther s outh t he U sk b isects t he c ounty . F or s ome r eason t he m oated s ites a re m ainly c oncentrated , n ot a long t hese v alleys , b ut i n ac onfined a rea o f r ather h igher g round b etween t hem , o n l and w ithin t he C lifford l ordship o f B ronllys ( 45). W hile r eminiscent o f t he M aelor c oncentration , e arly s ettlement i n t his a rea , r epresented b y e arthwork c astles, w ould s eemingly p reclude l ate a ssarting a s t heir r aison d 'etre . M ore p robably t his c oncentration r epresents s ubi nfeudation . B y t he l ate 1 3th c entury B ronllys h ad p assed i n m arriage t o J ohn G iffard , a nd i n h is t ime a s core o f s ub-tenants p erformed c astle w ard a t B ronllys ( 46). O n G iffard 's d eath i n 1 299 i t p assed , a gain b y m arriage , t o H enry d e L acy , E arl o f L incoln ( 47), a fter w hich , a n a bsentee L ord m ight c onceivably h ave e ncouraged o r i ncreased s ub-infeudation . S uch a n e xplanation , a dmittedly , d oes n ot a ccount f or t he c lose g rouping , a nd o ne o f t he s ites , C ourt L laca , w as c ertainly a d emesne m anor o f B ronllys, t hough i t w as l et o ut a t 1 00 s . ay ear i n t he 1 4th c entury ( 4 8 ). N evertheless , i t i s s urely a mong t he n umerous s ub-tenants o f B ronllys t hat w e m ust s eek t he b uilders o f t hese m oated s ites. T hough c omparatively h igh , r anging i n a ltitude f rom 4 50 t o 7 80 f t ., t he B ronllys m oats w ere i n a n a rea c ontaining r ich a rable l and t hat w as c ertainly e xploited i n m edieval t imes. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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I n f orm t he B reconshire m oated s ites a re u niformly s mall a nd l acking i n e laboration , e ven b y W elsh s tandards . T he a creage o f t hree i s n ot k nown , b ut t he r emaining e ight e nclose o n a verage a l ittle u nder a q uarter o f a n a cre . O nly t he s ite n ear B ronllys* c hurch i s a s l arge a s h alf a n a cre ( 49). W ithin M onmouthshire ( Figs . 2 .14 a nd 1 5) a n e astern a nd l owland d istribution i s a gain e ncountered , a nd, w hile l ess m arked t han i n F lintshire o r B reconshire, a m ain c oncentration i s a pparent o n t he e astern p art o f t he s outhern c oastal l owlands. I t i s d ifficult t o e xplain t heir a bsence f rom t he a djacent a nd e qually l ow-lying c oastal a rea t o t he s outh-west b etween t he U sk a nd R humney r ivers. A n i nitial e quation o f t his v oid w ith a d ense f orest , s ometimes c laimed t o h ave m ade m edieval G lamorgan 's s ea c ommunications w ith S omerset a nd G loucester e asier t han t hose b y l and , s eems a n u nlikely e xplanation : t here a re e arly c astles i n t his a rea v oid o f m oated s ites. T he e xplanation i s m ore p robably b ound u p w ith m anorial o rganisation , p articularly t he o wnership o f m uch o f t his a rea b y t he A ugustinian C anons o f B ristol , w ho , u nlike t he C istercians, a re n ot k nown a s o wners o f m oated s ites i n W ales ( 50). O nly t hree M onmouthshire s ites l ie a bove 5 00 f t . T he r est a re a ll u nder 4 00 f t ., a nd n ine a re b elow 1 00 f t. t o f urnish t he h ighest c oncentration o f v ery l ow-lying s ites i n t he m ountainous l and o f W ales. T he s ites a verage h alf a n a cre e nclosed , a nd , e xcept f or M oynes C ourt ( 51), a ll a re r ectangular . M oynes C ourt i s a lso e xceptional f or t he e mbanked d itch l eading w ater f rom i ts m oat d own ag entle s lope , p ossibly t o s erve a m ill l ike t hat a dduced b y W ebster a t P oolhead , a lso i n M onmouthshire , w here t hree s uccessive m ill-ponds w ere r anged d own a g entle s lope a nd a m oated s ite w as s et b eside t he d am o f t he m iddle p ond ( 52). T he e xtended e xternal d itch a t U ndy M oat* ( 53) c annot c ertainly b e e xplained a s a l eat , s ince i t i s a pparently s eparated f rom t he m oat b y ac ounterscarp b ank . M any o f t he o ther M onmouthshire s ites a re c losely a ssociated w ith w atercourses , w hich , i n t wo c ases, d efine o ne s ide. T he a ngle w hich s urvives a t P erth-hir* ( 54) i ndicates a l arge m oated s ite, a nd t he v estiges o f ab uilding w ithin i t i ncorporate a w indow w ith t wo t iers o f f our l ights w ith c usped h eads. T hough t his w indow s eems o f 1 5th o r e arly 1 6th c entury d ate, P erth-hir w as m entioned a s e arly a s 1 362 a s am esne m anor o f M onmouth , a nd i n 1 801 C oxe c laimed i t o nce h ad t wo d rawbridges, a c hapel , a nd a v aulted h all w ith g allery , s uggesting i t m ay h ave b een a nother s trong m oated s ite t o c ompare w ith L lys E dwin ( Flints . p p . 4 6 -4 9 , F ig . 2 .19), R oche C astle* ( Ca ms., n ote 9 ), a nd t he n earby M onmouthshire s ite o f P encoed C astle* ( note 2 9). G lamorgan s ites ( Figs . 2 .16 a nd 1 7), w ith o ne e xception , l ie o n t he u ndulating s outhern l owland k nown a s t he V ale o f G lamorgan ( 55). A s i n M onmouthshire t here i s a n i nexplicable a bsence o f m oats i n a s uitable l owland a rea , n amely t he p eninsula o f G ower , w here a bundant c astles d enote w idespread a nd c ontinued s ettlement f rom e arly m edieval t imes. A gain p olitical o r m anorial r easons m ight e xplain t he a bsence o f m oated s ites, e specially a s G ower w as a n i ndependent l ordship i n m edieval t imes , f or l ong t he p ossession o f t he d e B raos f amily , a nd w as o nly i ncorporated w ith G lamorgan b y t he A ct o f U nion Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
3 7
i n 1 536. I t h as b een a rgued e lsewhere t hat t he a lmost c omplete p redominance o f m ottes i n M ontgomeryshire a nd t he g reater p art o f S hropshire m ight r eflect t he p ersonal p reference o f R oger d e M ontgomery , w hose v assal , C orbet o f C ause , s eemingly o ften f avoured c astle r ingworks i n h is S hropshire f ees ( 56). T he p lotting o f m oated s ites a gainst k nown f eudal b oundaries m ay w ell i ndicate s imilar z ones o f a pparent p ersonal p reference , t hough g ood d ocumentary e vidence w ould b e n eeded t o p rove t hem . A ll G lamorgan m oated s ites a re r ectilinear , a nd t hey r ange i n s ize f rom B edford C astle* , e nclosing o ne f ifth o f a n a cre, t o C rofft-y-genau* ( 57), a r ecently d iscovered , a nd e ven m ore r ecently d estroyed s ite , w hich w as a t l east a n a cre i n a rea. O n a verage t he G lamorgan s ites a re r ather u nder a h alf a cre , a f igure c lose t o t hat o f n eighbouring M onmouthshire . O nly t he r emote n orthern s ite , t he r ather d oubtful f ragment a t L lancaiach ( 58), i s a bove 4 00 f t ., a nd t he m ajority ' lie b elow 2 00 f t . D uring C ommission f ieldwork k nown G lamorgan m oated s ites i ncreased f rom s even t o s eventeen , s tressing t he p rovisional n ature o f t he f igures o ffered f or c omparatively u nexplored c ounties, p articularly i n t he s outh a nd e ast o f t he c ountry . H orseland M oat* i s t he m ost c omplex s ite i n G lamorgan . I ts m oat p roper i s am ere q uarter a cre. A n 1 8th c entury f armstead, n ow d estroyed , h as c aused t he m utilation o f t he s outh-west a ngle o f t he m oat. R anged a long t he n orth s ide o f t he i sland a re s ubstantial r emains o f am edieval h all i ncorporating S utton s tone d ressings , a m aterial o f p articular l ocal s ignificance a s i ts q uarries w ere e xhausted e arly , a nd , u nless r e-used , i s r arely s een i n p ost-medieval w ork . T he g entle f all o f t he g round n orthwards t o a b rook n ecessitated t he w aterr etaining c ounterscarp b ank t o t he n orth , w hile o n t he s lope r ising a way t o t he s outh i s a s ystem o f t renches d efining a nd d raining i rregular b eds . C lose i nspection l eaves l ittle d oubt t hat t he t renches w ere f or d raining t he b eds , a lmost c ertainly f or s ome u nknown a gricultural p urpose. S urface e vidence a ppears t o a ssociate t he c omplex w ith t he m oated s ite, r ather t han w ith t he r ecent f armstead a nd i ts p addock o n t he s outh-west , a nd c ertainly n o c omparable e arthworks a re k nown , w hich h ardly s uggests t hat t hey a re l ikely t o b e m odern . M r A berg k indly s uggests t hat t hey m ay d enote w ithy b eds o r t renches a ssociated w ith t he t reatment o f f lax , a nd h opefully E nglish p arallels m ight s olve t he m atter . L lysworney* e ncloses a q uarter o f a n a cre , e xcluding a n a pparent a nnexe o f i ndeterminate s ize. T he n orth s ide o f t he i sland i s o ccupied b y a f armhouse, t he c ore o f w hich i s o f 1 7th c entury d ate. I nitially i t w as a ssumed t hat t he s ite w as t he c entre o f t he d emesne m anor o f L lysworney , w hich t he m edieval C hief L ords o f G lamorgan c ertainly p ossessed. W hile t his r emains a s trong p ossibility , av alid a lternative h as c ome t o l ight, n amely t hat i t m ight h ave b een t he c entre o f t he e piscopal m anor o f N ash P arva , h eld b y L landaff a nd l eased o ut i n t he 1 5th c entury t o t he C arnes , w ho r esided a t n earby N ash M anor . U ntil t he r espective h oldings o f t he B ishops a nd C hief L ords i n t he p arish o f L lysworney h ave b een d etermined t he o wnership o f t he m oated s ite w ill r emain i n d oubt . W orleton * , a lso k nown a s D oghill o r D yffryn , i s a n u ndoubted s eat o f t he m edieval B ishops o f L landaff ( 59). I ts d ate i s u nknown , Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 3 8
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
) 4
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C3e r7 8
b ut i t s eems r easonable t o s uggest t hat i t e xisted b y 1 332 w hen B ishop J ohn s igned a d eed a t W orleton . I n t he 1 6th c entury t he m anor w as a cquired b y t he B uttons w ho h ad a f ishpond a nd c olumbarium h ere ( 60). T he s ite i s t he b est p reserved i n t he c ounty , t hough t he l eat h as u nfortunately b een a lmost o bliterated s ince s urvey . T he s lightly r aised i sland b ears n o t races o f t he f ormer b uildings , b ut a p rojecting s tone b ridge a butment i s d iscernible o n t he w est s carp . T he m oat r etains w ater i n a ll b ut t he m ost e xtreme o f d ry w eather . C aerwigau* i s t he m ost i mpressive n ewly-found m oated s ite i n G lamorgan . I t h as b een g iven t he n ame o f t he s ub-manor i n w hich i t s tood, a n ame r etained b y an earby 1 6th c entury f armhouse. T he m oated s ite l ies s ecluded i n w oodland , i ts d amp m oat e nclosing h alf a n a cre. T he n orth-east f ront i s d efined b y m arshy g round , t he r est b y am oat a nd w ater-retaining c ounterscarp b ank . I ts h istorical c ontext i s u nclear , t hough f rom t he 1 2th t o t he 1 5th c entury t he s ub-manor o f C aerwigau w as s uccessively h eld b y t he H ospitallers , M argam A bbey , a nd t he L lywelyns , al ocal f amily w ho l ater b uilt t he n earby 1 6th c entury f armhouse ( 61). O bservations o n t he s ize a nd f orm o f W elsh m oated s ites A s w e h ave s een , W elsh m oated s ites a re p redominantly s imple r ectangular w orks w ith f ew a nnexes o r o utworks o f a ny s ort . T aking t he 1 00 s ites f or w hich t he e nclosed a creage c ould b e c alculated, w e h ave a n a verage o f h alf a n a cre f or t he W elsh s ites . T his a verage n aturally m asks a f ew e xtremes o f s ize . A mong t he f ew l arge s ites a re T regarnedd* ( Ang .; p . 2 4 a nd n ote 3 1), e nclosing t wo a cres ; H alghton H all* ( Flint .) ( 62), a t l east t wo a cres; a nd P erth-hir* ( Mon .; p . 3 7 a nd n ote 5 4), w hich m ust h ave e xceeded a n a cre . L argest o f a ll i s t he e nigmatic C ourt L lechryd ( Rads.; F ig . 2 .18), a t o ver s ix a cres ( 63). S ize a lone m ight e xclude t he p ossibility t hat t his w as a m oated s ite , y et i ts s ituation a nd ' fresh ' a ppearance , n ot t o m ention i ts p artly w et m oat , r ule o ut t he c onsideration o f aR oman o rigin . AD ark A ge o r m edieval d ate s eems c ertain . V irtually n othing i s k nown o f t he c haracteristics o f n ative p rincely s eats o f t he D ark A ges, n or o f t he p robable M ercian s trongholds w hich m ust h ave r esulted f rom t heir p eriodic i ncursions i nto W ales. A t p resent, t herefore, w e c an o nly r egard C ourt L lechryd a s a n e xceptionally l arge m edieval m oated s ite, t hough i ts s ize a nd l ack o f a ny k nown m anorial c ontext l eave d oubts. A t t he o ther e nd o f t he s cale s ix s ites e nclose u nder o ne t enth uggesting t hey w ere t oo s mall t o h ave h eld h ouses. T wo o f a n a cre , s ave h eld d ovecotes : f irstly L lwyn-yr-alarch* ( Pembs .) o f t hem m ay h as f ormerly m arked ' Colomendy ' o n t he O rdnance S urvey ( 64 ), w hich w s t i l l r e g a r d e d l o c a l l y a s a f o r m e r p i g e o n h o u s e . T he m ap , a nd i s a r e c t a n g u l a r b u i l d i n g m e a s u r i n g t e n b y f i v e m e t r e s o ccupy f ootings o f S e c o n d l y , t h e r e i s B e d f o r d C a s t l e * ( G l a m . ) w h i c h c o ntains t he i sland . a n i rregular s toney m ound w hich i t i s t empting t o a ssociate w ith a d ovecote l isted f or t he a djacent v illage o f L lanmaes i n 1 578 ( 65). T he g eneral c oincidence o f t he d istribution o f m oated s ites w ith t he l imited a reas o f a rable l and i n W ales p rompts t he w ildly s peculative s uggestions t hat w e m ight h ave e xpected m oated g ranaries s uch a s t hose t hat e xisted i n t he L ower R hineland , a nd a n e xample f rom M onchengladbach , n ow r e-erected a t t he f olk m useum a t K ommern , Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ) 4 5
i s d oubly i nteresting . F irstly , i f s uch s tructures c ould b e s hown t o e xist i n B ritain t hey w ould h elp t o e xplain s ome o f o ur v ery s mall s ites. S econdly , t he g ranary a t K ommern i s as ubstantial t imber-framed s tructure s et o n l arge p ad-stones, a b uilding t echnique w hich m ight e xplain t he a bsence o f a ny t races o f s tructures a t s uch s ites a s t he s mall m oated p latform a t D alton-on-Tees ( 66). R egarding a nnexes o r s econdary m oated a reas, i t s eems t hat t hese a re e xtremely r are i n W ales . O ld M ills* ( Mont .) ( 67) i s t he o nly s ite w ith c lear e vidence f or a s econdary e nclosure, t hough o ne s eems p robable a t L lysworney* ( Glam .; p . 3 8), a nd t hree d itched s ubordinate e nclosures a re r eported a t F fynogion ( Denb .) ( 68). T he e xtended o uter d itch o n t he s outh-west f ront a t L lys E dwin ( Flints .; p p . 4 6-9 a nd F ig . 2 .19) i s n ow r egarded a s af ishpond , t hough o nce i t w as c laimed t o b e p art o f a l arge o uter e nclosure. • T here a re f ew i nstances o f l eats f eeding t he W elsh m oats. W orleton* ( Glam .; p p . 3 8-45 a nd n otes 5 9 a nd 6 0) i s ac ertain e xample , a nd l esser i ndications s uggest t heir p ossible e xistence a t C hapel G arth* ( Flints .) ( 69), U ndy* ( Mon .) ( 70), N antcribba* ( Monts .; p . 3 0 a nd n ote 4 2) a nd M oynes C ourt* ( Mon .; p . 3 7 a nd n ote 5 1), t hough t he l atter d rained r ather t han f ed t he m oat . T he r arity o f l eats i s l argely e xplained b y t he s iting o f s o m any a gainst, o r v ery c lose t o s treams. A t l east n ineteen a re a lso s et u pon o r a gainst m arshy g round, w hile a t l east t hirty-eight c ould b e f ed d irectly b y s treams. A lmost h alf t he k nown s ites a re r ecorded a s h aving a t l east p artly w et m oats t o t his d ay . S ince m ost l ie i n f avoured p arts o f t he c ountry w here g ood w ell-drained a rable l and w as a vailable i t i s d ifficult t o s ee t hem a s ar eaction t o a d eteriorating c limate , b ut r ather a s ac onscious c hoice o f w et s ites . M rs l e P atourel 's e xpressed d oubts a bout t he c limatic f actor a s a m otive f or m oat c onstruction w ould a ppear t o b e s upported i n W ales , t hough h er o pponents m ight f ind c ontrary e vidence i n c onsidering t he e xcavated s ite a t H ighlight G lam .; p . 5 0 a nd F ig . 2 .20). R egarding a ltitude, f or W ales a s aw hole , 1 07 o f t he s ites l ie b elow 6 00 f t ., w hile n inety a re b elow 4 00 f t.
1 27 m edieval
T he t hree e xcavated W elsh m oated s ites 1 L lys E dwin ( Flints .; F ig .
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L lys E dwin r eputedly d erives i ts n ame f rom E dwin o f T egeingl, a l ord o f m ixed W elsh a nd M ercian s tock w ho o ccupied t he a rea i n t he l ate 1th c entury . T he s ite w as e xcavated b y T . A . G lenn i n 1 931 a nd o bscurely p ublished i n 1 934. D oubting t he C ommission 's c lassification o f t he s ite a s am otte a nd b ailey , G lenn d emonstrated t hat t he s o-called m otte w as i n f act a m ound m asking a s ubstantial r uined b uilding s et i n t he n orth q uarter o f am oated e nclosure. T he m oat w as 2 6 f t. w ide a nd s tone-revetted . O n t he e vidence o f m asses o f c harred t imbers f ound i n t he m oat G lenn b elieved t hat t he s trong c ounterscarp b ank h ad s upported a p alisade o f o ak t runks e ight f eet h igh a nd w ith s harpened u pper e nds. O n t he n orth-west s ide t wo p rojecting t owers o f u nequal s ize h alved t he w idth o f t he m oat . B etween t he t owers, a nd f acing a b ridge a butment o n t he c ounterscarp , w as a p assage f lanked b y Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
4 6
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
4 8
p ortcullis g rooves a nd l eading i nto a s mall c obbled y ard w ithin t he n orth b uilding b lock . T o t he l eft , o r n orth-east , o f t he l ittle y ard w as t he h all w ith i ts s eparate k itchen a nd p antry a t i ts i nner g able . O ther b uildings f lanked t he o ther s ide o f t he y ard , a nd t he b lock w as c ompleted b y t owers a t i ts n orth a nd e ast c orners, t he f ormer , a t t he a ngle o f t he m oat , a nd c laimed t o h ave h oused a c hapel . G lenn i dentified t hree p hases o n t he s ite o f t his b uilding b lock i n t he n orth q uarter o f t he s ite . F irstly t here h ad b een a s tructure o f t imber i ndicated b y p ost-holes . T his w as f ollowed b y h alf-timbered b uildings r oofed w ith s tone t iles. F inally , t he b lock w as s ubstantially r ebuilt i n s tone, w ith a s late r oof a nd c rested r idge-tiles. G lenn b elieved t he f inal p hase d ated t o t he f irst h alf o f t he 1 3th c entury . B eyond t he s ubstantial b lock i n t he n orth c orner t he r emainder o f t he i sland w as v ariously w alled o r p alisaded, a nd t here w ere t owers a t t he w est, s outh a nd e ast a ngles, t he f irst o f s tone , t he o thers o f ' timber , as tructural v ariety c learly d ictated b y t he d esire t o p resent as tronger a nd m ore i mpressive f ront o n t he s ide i ncorporating t he e ntrance. Ah alf-timbered s table l ined t he s outh-west s ide, a nd a f orge w as i dentified a butting t he w est a ngle t ower . I t i s u nfortunate t hat t he r eport o n t his i mportant s ite i nadequately d escribes t he s tratigraphy a nd f inds, a nd i llustrates n either . P ottery a ssociated w ith t he f inal p hase i s d escribed a s b eing o f t he 1 3th o r e arly 1 4th c entury , ad ate w hich s eems c onsistent w ith s uch a rchitectural d escription a s i s g iven . 2
H en G wrt* ( Mon .)
( 72)
H en G wrt, t he o nly W elsh m oat i n g uardianship , w as e xcavated b y C raster a nd L ewis i n 1 957 a nd a f ull r eport i s a vailable. T he e xcavations p roved d isappointing ; w holesale s tone-robbing i n t he 1 8th a nd 1 9th c enturies h ad l eft s cant t races o f i nternal b uildings a nd e ven t hese w ere m ainly o f ap ost-medieval b uilding . F inds s uggested ap rimary o ccupation i n t he f irst h alf o f t he 1 3th c entury , b efore t he m oat w as d ug i n t he e arly 1 4th c entury . A fter o ccupation i n t he 1 4th c entury t here w as l ittle a ctivity i n t he 1 5th c entury , f ollowed b y r enewed o ccupat ion i n t he 1 6th a nd 1 7th c enturies. T he s ite, n ext t o t he c hurch , l ies i n t he p arish a nd m anor o f L landisilio-Crossenny , w hich , l ike W orleton* ( Glam .), w as h eld b y t he m edieval B ishops o f L landaff u ntil t he m id 1 5th c entury , w hen i t w as a cquired b y W illiam H erbert, 1 st E arl o f P embroke. T he l ack o f 1 5th c entury a ctivity w as t entatively e quated w ith d estruction d uring t he G lyndwr u prising , a nd t he r enewed 1 6th c entury o ccupation w ith a h unting l odge s et u p b y t he H erberts i n t he v icinity i n t he l ate 1 5th c entury . O ne f eature o f p articular i nterest w as t he r emains o f t imber s upports f or a b ridge a bout e leven f eet w ide . N o o ther b ridge t imbers a re r ecorded f rom W elsh m oated s ites, t hough s tone a butments h ave b een o bserved a t L lys E dwin ( Flints.; F ig . 2 .19, p . 4 6 a nd n ote 7 1), P enley H all* ( Flints .), ( 73) a nd W orleton* ( Glam ., p p . 3 8-45 a nd n otes 5 9 a nd -6 0), w hile a d ouble m ound b eside t he n orth d itch a t C ourt M oat* ( Pembs.) ( 74) i s s aid t o m ark a d rawbridge . I t m ight b e a dded h ere , t hat s tone-revetted m oats a re r ecorded a t B retton H all* ( Flints.) ( 75), L lys E dwin ( Flints .), C oity H igher* ( Glam .) a nd H enfron ( Mont.). Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
4 9
3 Highlight (Glam.; Fig. 2.20) .(76) Highlight has been under excavation by Howard Thomas since 1970 . It is of special interest as it can be related to an adjacent deserted settlement, of which the sites of a former parish church, six houses, a corn-drying kiln, and a probable mill have been located. The buildings of the present Highlight Farm also incorporate slight vestiges of a late medieval manor house, the presumed successor of the moated site nearby. One house site and also the church and its adjacent priest's house have also been excavated. The moated site lies on the fringe of the settlement and encloses rather over a quarter of an acre. Highlight was rated as half a lalight's fee and was a parish and sub-manor of the de Someri lordship of Dinas Powis. In the late 14th century the sub-manor passed to the St John family. The moated site was undoubtedly founded as the centre of·the de Someri. sub-lordship, in much the same way as the Chief Lord of Glamorgan established a moated site in his demesne manor of Roath Dogfield. Occupation at the site ranged from the late 12th century to the 15th, beginning with a late 12th century hall. It was located at the north end of the moat platform, but whether it was moated from the outset is not clear. This building was crudely built and had round angles like contemporary Glamorgan halls at Burry Holms (77), and the castle ringworks at Penrnaen and Pennard (78). One angle of a second building of the same character further south might suggest that the moat was dug later, for it is awkwardly aligned to the adjacent ditch. Subsequently the area of the platform was artificially raised by dumping clean clay, possibly indicating the first cutting of the moat. The heightening sealed 12th and 13th century sherds. The primary hall on the north was at first retained, but eventually it was levelled for its site to receive a smaller building which, together with two similar but larger buildings in the central area, were of late 13th or early 14th century date. These secondary buildings, which had squared corners, continued in use until the 15th century, when the St Johns presumably removed to the nearby manor house indicated by the vestiges of about this date in the nearby farm buildings. The political and cultural setting of the Welsh moated sites
It remains to place the Welsh sites in their political and cultural setting with the aid of maps .a - f (Fig. 2.21). Map a again demonstrates their eastern and southern distributi0n, this time emphasised by bold lines which are repeated on the other maps. Map b shows the greatest extent of the conquests of Llywelyn ap Iorwerth in the early t3th century, and the even greater dominance of his grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, in the decade from 1267 (79). The ultirrate Royal solution to this threat to the position of English and loyalist Welsh lords in Wales is shown in Map c, namely the creation of the Principality of Wales, buttressed by the eight new royal fortesses of Edward I (80 ). For the rest of Wales, the March, .the anarchy of autonomous lordships was to persist until 1536, and it is in them, or some of them, that the majority of our moated sites are found. Map c also reminds us that in Wales castles were very much a feature t he moated sites· , and shows all of those that are known to alongside Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
50
MOATS I N
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c o
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( A f ter Sm ith 1 975)
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have continued in use in the mid 13th or the mid 14th centuries (81). A further type of defensive structure, the tower house, is extremely rare in Wales (Map d) (82). Peter Smith has argued convincingly that this striking contrast with Ireland, Scotland and Northern England is a measure of the prosperity and settled conditions heralded by the Edwardian settlement (83). In Wales the moated sites, which broadly reflect the thin distribution or tower houses, might be seen as a medieval alternative, giving a modicum of protection and prestige to those who elsewhere erected towers in their hundreds. We have two periods in medieval Welsh history when conditions may conceivably have encouraged the construction of moated sites: firstly, the 13th century, when they may have been a limited defensive reaction to the Welsh threat; secondly, the 14th century, when their modest form of defence was perhaps thought adequate for more settled times. Only excavation will enable us to test these not incompatible hypotheses. The comparative lack of moated sites in central and west Wales is principally explained by the inhospitable mountain terrain, unsuited to a mnorial economy. For those confined areas to the west, particularly Anglesey and the narrow coastal lowlands of West Wales, where suitable land and just a few sites exist, their rarity may well be a reflection of the different political 9rganisation of those parts. There, in the royal Principality, a strong administration, efficiently conducted by royal officers, perhaps lessened the incentive for moats. In the more lawless Marches to the east, on the other hand, the defensive benefits of a moat, however slight, would perhaps have seemed a worthwhile investment in an area of petty brigandage and feuding between the lords of the March,· lords, in Rees's words, each with '... his own army, his own law, his own courts ... a petty King within his own territory' (84). Above all, however, the dominant factor must have been the greater degree of anglicisation in the main moated site zones of Wales which correspond very closely to those areas where Rees plotted the overwhelming majority of fully developed manorial centres (85). Map e strikingly demonstrates this by illustrating the close correspondence between the moated sites and the known pre-industrial non-Welsh place-names of Wales (86). Where ownership of moats is known or ·reason�bly presumed, it is mostly English: de la Roche in Carmarthenshire; Hanmer, Ravenscroft, Puleston and Dymocm in Flintshire; Bois and de Solaris in Breconshire; Norris, de Cardiff, de Sully, in Glamorganshire; and de Clare,. Denford and de Knovill in Monmouthshire. Even some of the exceptions prove the rule. Sir Gruffydd Llwyd of Tregarnedd* (Ang.; p. 24 and note 31) was an honoured member of Edward I's household, Commissioner of Array in North,Wales, and the first Welsh-born sheriff in the area. Equally anglicised, as we have seen, was Owain Glyndwr, reputed owner of the single Merionethshire moated site at Glyndyfrdwy (87). Most moated sites must certainly have been the centres of lay manors or sub-manors, and certain Welsh names associated with them do echo their former status. Llys and Plas, the Welsh equivalents of mansion, hall or palace, have been noted as surviving names at or very near a dozen sites. Adding ten instances of Cwrt, in English court, we have over twenty sites whose names or associations imply former manorial establishments. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
52
The final map (f) indicates the eastern distribution of the great majority of the surviving medieval houses in Wales, which, its·author claims, is no accident of survival (88). The pride of these are the seventeen aisle-trussed halls, dated architecturally to the period 1350-1485. Four of these undoubtedly manorial halls were moated, namely Althrey Hall and Horseman's Green in Flintshire, and Lower Berse and Llay Hall in Denbighshire (89). A small number of moated sites were the centres of episcopal manors: Llandaff held Hen Gwrt* (p. 49 and note 72), Worleton* (p. 38 and notes 59 and 60) and perhaps Llysworney* (p. 38 ); St Asaphs held Llys Farm (90); and St Davids, Court Moat* (p. 49 and note 74), Llyn yr Alarch* (p. 45 and note 64), and, possibly, Castell Coch (p. � and note 40). Others were in monastic hands. There can be no doubt that Old Mynachdy* (p. 30 and note 44) was a grange of Cwmhir. Historical sources, especially Professor Rees's 'Map of South Wales and the t1a.rch in the 14th Century', suggest the possibility that others may have been moated granges: Pant y Caregl (Rads.) (91) is close to Cwmhir's lands at Bugeildy; Vicarage Meadow (Flints.) reputedly belonged to Haughrnond (92); Old Mills* (Mont.; pp. 30 and 46, note 43) was very close to a holding of Alberbury (93); Talhardd (Carms.) was held by Talley Abbey (94); and finally Goldcliff Moat (Mon.) must surely have pertained to the nearby p_riory of that name. We began with a moated parsonage at Llandrinio, and there is some evidence to suggest others. Persondy*, the name of the 17th century house within one of the Glamorgan sites, means 'Parson's House', while in Montgomeryshire, besides Llandrinio, there is Cwrt y Person*, 'The Parson's Court' (95). The tiny Pembrokeshire site called Woodstock Ring* lies beside a small embanked enclosure traditionally regarded as a churchyard (96), while a tithe barn is recorded beside the moated site at Tregynon* (Monts.) (97). While moated sites lying next to churches are usually, and quite reasonably, regarded as probably lay manor-house sites, these few Welsh examples suggest they may sometimes have been parsonages. Concerning dating, such scant indications as we have seem to faintly indicate a proliferation in the late 13th and 11-1-th centuries, a period conveniently bracketted by the Edwardian settlement of 1284, and the Glyndwr uprising which erupted in 1400. This revolt of the first decade of the 15th century spread destruction to every corner of Wales. Court Llaca moated site (Brees.) was certainly destroyed by the rebels, as the records indicate (98), and we may be sure that many more suffered a similar fate. The latest published list of scheduled sites in Wales, under· .· 'Medieval Domestic Sites and Buildings', gives a single monument for Cardiganshire, namely the 'Moated site at Trefenter'. The extraordinary history and incomparably full documentation of Trefenter merits a brief outline in concluding.our survey of Welsh moated sites (99). In 1819 an Englishman, Augustus Brackenbury, purchased 900 acres of common that had recently been included in an Enclosure -Act. He fenced it in and built a house, but was soon in conflict with local inhabitants, mainly over their continued exercise of customary rights of turbary upon his land. After numerous wild acts of intimidation by both sides, a mob finally converged upon Brackenbury's house at night, armed,
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53
f aces b lackened , a nd d ressed a s w omen , p resumably t o a void r ecognition . T he h ouse w as b urnt t o t he g round . B rackenbury b uilt a s econd h ouse i n 1 826 , t his a n i ncredible s tructure w ith n arrow d oors a nd w indows a nd ar ound t ower . A round i t h e d ug a m oat , f ed b y an earby s tream . T he l ocal o pposition s oon r eacted , a nd i n t he s ame y ear a m ob o f 6 00 a ssembled , i ncluding t he R everend L ewis o f P ant y B arwn , a nd, n o d oubt , J ames M orris , u nfrocked m inister o f t he E stablished C hurch , w ho i s s trongly s uspected o f t he a uthorship o f p oison p en l etters s ent t o B rackenbury . T he m ob t hrew p lanks a cross t he m oat a nd d ragged o ut a ll f urniture , b edding a nd f ixtures , a nd w ith t hem f illed u p t he m oat . T roops w ere c alled , b ut w e n eed n ot p ursue t he a ftermath . B rackenbury b uilt y et a nother h ouse o n an ew s ite , b efore f inally s elling o ut a nd l eaving t he a rea i n 1 830 . T oday n othing r emains e xcept t he m oat , g uarding i ts f ine d estruction l evel f or t he s pade o f s ome u nsuspecting m edievalist !
L IST O F S ITES A ND K EY T O D ISTRIBUTION M APS A s e xplained i n t he t ext t he f oregoing p rovisional a ccount a nd d iscussion o f W elsh m oated s ites i s, f or t he g reater p art o f W ales a nd t he m ajority o f s ites , b ased o n s econdary e vidence . T he f ollowing l ists , a rranged b y c ounty , w ill e nable t he f uture f ieldworker t o l ocate a ll s ites m apped , d escribed o r i llustrated , a r id f u rnish h im w ith o ther u seful f acts a bout e ach s ite . E ach e ntry p rovides t he f ollowing i nformation i n t he o rder g iven : 1 C ounty s ite-number u sed o n p lans a nd d istribu tions ( figure r eferences g iven a t h ead o f e ach c ounty l ist). 2
A n a sterisk p receding s ite n ame i ndicates w hich s ites a re r epresented b y p lans i n t he i llustrations.
3 T he s ite n ame a nd r elevant n ote n umbers.
N otes 1 t o 9 9 a lso f igure i n t he m ain t ext a nd a re r epeated t o h elp i nternal r eference.
4 Af our-figure n ational g rid r eference . 5
I f r elevant ,S d enotes s ites i ncluded i n t he l atest l ist ( 1974) o f s cheduled s ites, w hether o r n ot t he l ist c lassed t hem a s m oated s ites. I n t he s ame c olumn V i ndicates v anished s ites.
6 I nternal d imensions i n f eet ( excluding t he f ew a nnexes i nvolved) i f k nown .
7 T he a creage e nclosed ( if k nown). 8 H eight a bove O rdnance D atum ( in f eet).
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 5 1 4
A NGLESEY S ITES ( Fig . 2 .3) P robable A n- 1 * Tregarnedd ( 3 1)
S H 4 686 7 464
S
3 00 x 3 61
1 .798
2 0
S H 5 406 7 565 S H 5 454 7 650
- 2 02 x 1 72 S 1 65 x 1 30
0 .798 0 .492
2 37 2 40
0 .189 0 .230 0 .207 0 .119 0 .546 0 .260
7 80 4 75 6 55 7 40 4 55 4 55
0 .073 0 .146
7 50 3 75 5 75 4 80 7 75
P ossible A n- 2 * Bryn E ryr ( 12) A n- 3 * Hen D refor ( 10)(12)
B RECKNOCKSHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .13) P robable B rB rB rB rB rB r-
1 2 3 4 5 6
* Oaklands M oat ( 100) * Felinfach M oat ( 101) * Tredurn M oat ( 102) * Hillis M oat ( 103) * Bronllys M oat ( 49) * Pipton M oat ( 104)
S O S O S O S O S O S O
0 757 1 003 120 190 1 431 1 499
3 205 3 352 3 452 3 255 3 485 3 653
B r- 7 C ourt L laca ( 48)(98) S O B r- 8 S cethrog T ower ( 105) S O B r- 9 T refecca F awr ( 106) S O B r-10 * Hen C astell ( 18) S O B r-11 L lanafon F awr ( 1 0 ) ( 106a )SN
0 838 1 041 1 430 2 128 9 667
3 206 2 499 3 180 1 657 5 563
S S S S S
1 07 1 00 1 00 7 2 1 70 1 30
x 7 7 x 1 00 x 9 0 x 7 2 x 1 40 x 8 7
P ossible
6 1 x 5 2 S d iam . 9 0
C AERNARVONSHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .4) P robable C a- 1 * Ty M awr ( 10)(33)
S H 5 555 6 643
S
1 40 x 15
0 .370
3 75
S H 4 634 5 776
S
1 60 x 1 40
0 .514
1 00
0 .441
4 00
P ossible C a- 2
* Dinas y P rif ( 19)
C ARDIGANSHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .6) P robable C d- 1 * Coed L lys ( 38)
S N 6 261 7 368
-
S N 7 860 8 250
S
S N 6 040 6 820
S
1 60 x 1 20
P ossible C d- 2
L lys A rthur ( 10)(39)
9 70
L ate s ite ( 1826!) C d- 3
T refenter ( 99)
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
5 5
1 00 x 1 00
0 .230
9 00
C ARMARTHENSHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .8) P robable C m- 1 * Roche C astle ( 9) C m- 2 * Waunberllan ( 107)
S N 2 941 1 022 S N 7 698 2 997
- 2 10 x 1 60 - 1 20 x 9 0
0 .771 0 .248
1 00 3 50
S V -
9 5 9 0 9 6 7 5 1 00
0 .262 0 .289 0 .2 12 0 .18 1 0 .230
1 08 x 8 9
0 .22 1
1 75 3 50 5 25 1 50 1 5 1 60 8 30
-
1 00 x 6 0
0 .138
S
1 00 x 1 00 _
0 .230
P ossible C mC mC mC mC mC mC m-
3 * Llandre G aer ( 20) S N 4 * Eithin M an ( 10 )(14 ) S N 5 * Waun-withan ( 13) S N 6 T rebersed M oat ( 108 ) S N . 7 Y stym E nlli O utwk ( 1 0 )(2 1 )SN 8 T alhardd ( 94) S N 9 L lanwrda E wk ( 10)(108a) S N
0 946 3 356 3 761 3 830 5 852 6 215 7 162
2 029 1 66 1 3 7 12 1 996 0 332 2 023 3 455
1 20 1 40 9 6 1 05 1 00
x x x x x
D ENBIGHSHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .10) P robable D e- 1 D e- 2 D e- 3 D e- 4 D e- 5 D e- 6 D e- 7 D e- 8 D e- 9 D e10 D e11
* Henllan U rban ( 34) * Plas H eaton M oat ( 35) * Coed C lattwn ( 109) F fynogion ( 68 ) L lanfair D .C . ( 1 10 ) * New H all M oat ( 111) * Llyntro M oat ( 1 12) * Llay H all ( 89) * Talant C ottage ( 1 13) * Eyton O ld H all ( 114) P lassey M oat ( 1 15)
S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J
0 398 0 415 0 451 1 282 1 471 2 745 3 042 3 262 3 297 3 486 3 500
6 930 6 905 6 879 5 624 5 5 18 3 895 4 8 19 5 568 5 903 4 369 4 517
- 2 20 9 0 - 1 40 V 6 9 - 1 20 V
S H 9 085 6 959 S J 3 122 5 008
V --
x x x x x _
1 20 8 0 1 40 6 1 1 20
0 .606 0 .165 0 .450 0 .097 0 .33 1
3 60 3 50 3 30 2 50 3 90 4 75 3 75 2 75 1 75 1 50 1 90
P ossible D e-12 D e-13
H enllys ( 1 16) L ad erBerse ( 89)
3 70 3 50
F LINTSHIRE S ITES ( Figs . 2 .9 a nd 1 9) P robable F l- 1 F l- 2 F l- 3 F l- 4 F l- 5 F l- 6 F l- 7 F l- 8 F l- 9 F l-10 F l-11 F l-12
* Llys E dwin ( 7 1) * Bretton H all ( 75) * Lightwood M oat ( 1 17) H ol lybushFarm ( 1 18 ) * Halghton H all ( 62 ) * Penley H all ( 73 ) * Moat , H alghton ( 119) * Emral H all ( 120 ) *C haPel G arth ( 69) * Tallarn G reen ( 12 1) * Haulton R ing ( 122) * Wolvesacre H all ( 123 )
S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J S J
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2 364 3 658 3 889 4 091 4 158 4 168 4 18 1 4 190 4 369 4 469 4 689 5 065
6 933 6 374 4 099 4 390 4 240 4 045 4 324 4 4 17 4 166 4 390 3 727 4 240
S S S V S -
2 14 1 30 1 20 13 3 00 1 30 1 64 11 1 07 1 77 1 70
x2 00 x 10 x 15 x 7 2 x3 00 x 1 30 x 9 8 _ x 7 8 x 6 0 x 1 02 x 1 50
0 .983 0 .328 0 .3 17 0 .187 2 .066 0 .383 0 .369 0 .199 0 .147 0 .414 0 .585
3 75 2 0 1 90 1 30 1 25 2 00 1 00 6 5 1 90 1 25 3 00 2 75
P ossible F 1-13 F 1-14 F 1-15 F 1-16 F 1-17 F 1-18 F 1-19 F 1-20 F 1-21 F 1-22
L lys F arm ( 90) S J G reen L ane ( 9) S J H i ll F arm ( 124) S J M ulsford H all ( 125) S J P eartree H ouse ( 126) S J H orseman 's G reen ( 89) S J W illington O ld H all(127)SJ V icarage M eadow ( 92) S J M aes y G roes ( 128) S J F enns O ld H all ( 129) S J
0 618 3 340 4 000 4 306 4 325 4 473 4 557 5 480 4 985 5 055
8 144 6 379 4 000 4 384 4 180 4 145 4 240 3 980 4 306 3 960
G LAMORGAN S ITES ( Figs . 2 .16 ,
V V V V V _
_ __ 3 94 3 00 1 24 --
__ __ x2 95 x 3 00 x 1 24 ---- - -O va1 ,270 x
. ,M O M N
2 .668 1 .377 0 .353
1 60
tm .
4 0 1 00 2 00 1 20 1 80 2 20 2 50 2 65 2 45 2 80
1 7 a nd 2 0)
P robable G l- 1 G l- 2 G l- 3 G l- 4 G l- 5 G l- 6 G l- 7 G l- 8 G l- 9 G 1-10 G 1-11 G 1-12 G 1-13
* Coity H igher * Persondy * Llysworney ( 9) * Felindre * Gadlys * Horseland * Liege C astle ( 10)(129a) * Caerwigau * Worleton ( 9)(59)(60) * Highlight ( 10)(76) * Crofft y G enau ( 57) * Middleton R oath D ogfield
S S S S S S S S S S S T S T S T S T S T S T S T S T
9 142 9 480 9 623 9 711 9 789 0 405 0 540 0 565 0 927 1 004 145 1 505 1 987
8 243 7 909 7 426 8 113 8 113 7 239 7 342 7 549 7 196 6 974 7 944 6 870 7 764
- 1 00 - 1 70 - 10 - 15 - 1 70 - 1 20 S 1 00 - 1 70 S 1 07 S 1 20 ✓ 2 06 - 1 05 ✓
S S S T S T S T
9 800 0 302 139 189
6 930 7 33 1 9 662 7 625
S ✓
x x x x x x x x x x x x
9 2 1 60 9 5 9 5 1 50 9 7 8 7 1 60 1 07 1 20 2 00+ 9 5
0 .211 0 .624 0 .240 0 .251 0 .585 0 .267 0 .200 0 .624 0 .263 0 .33 1 0 .946+ 0 .229
2 85 6 0 1 58 10 1 50 1 20 3 50 2 60 1 40 2 00 1 30 2 0 3 7
0 .207 0 .433
1 50 3 50 5 50 1 50
P ossible G 1-14 G 1-15 G 1-16 H 1-17
* Bedford C astle G arn E arthwork L lancaiach * Court C ottages
9 5 x 9 5 1 64 x 15
-? 200 x 2 00 ? 0 .918
M ERIONETHSHIRE S ITE ( Fig . 2 .5) P robable M e- 1
G lyndyfrdwy ( 36)
S J 1 276 4 311
-
14 x 1 02
0 .267
4 30
M ONMOUTHSHIRE S ITES ( Figs . 2 .14 a nd 1 5) P robable M mM mM mM mM mM mM mM m-
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
P enbidwal M oat ( 130) * Hen G wrt ( 72 ) L lwyn-y-gaer ( 131) * Perth-hir M oat ( 54) G oldcliff M oat ( 132) * Langstone V illa ( 133) * Newbridge M bat ( 16) * Llanmartin M oat ( 134)
S O S O S O S O S T S T S T S T
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5 7
3 416 3 958 4 045 4 867 3 617 3 742 3 894 3 902
2 218 1 512 111 1 592 8 359 8 978 9 487 8 943
8 0 S 1 25 S 2 63 S S 3 50 S 1 30 S 1 40
x 8 0 x 1 24
0 .147 0 .356
6 25 1 85 2 25 x 1 30+ 0 .785+ 1 25 1 5 x 10 0 .884 5 0 x 1 20 0 .358 3 0 x 1 40 0 .450 6 0
m m- 9 * Middle D am M oat ( 52) m m-lo * Pencoed C astle ( 29) M mil * Coed-Cwnwr ( 17)
4 o4o 8 920 4 062 8 94 1 4 126 9 943
M m12 M m13 M m14 M m15
4 510 8 793 4 899 9 034
S T S T S T * Undy M oat ( 10)(53)(70) S T L lanfihangel R ogiet ( 135)ST * Crick M oat ( 9) S T * Moynes C ourt ( 51) S T
1 05 1 70 1 05 9 0
4 394 8 735
5 199 9 085
x 1 05 x 1 70 x 1 00 x 6 6
0 .253 0 .663 0 .241 0 .136
1 60 2 10 3 80
3 5 4 0
1 30 x 9 0
0 .269
7 5
D iam 1 60
0 .462
5 0
1 50 x 1 50
0 .517
2 80 x 2 30
1 .478
5 75 2 0 7 50
1 02 x 9 0 2 56 x 2 23
0 .211 1 .3 11
2 80 2 70
1 .265
2 25 2 00 5 30
P ossible M m16 M m17 M m18
* Pen 11wyn M awr ( 15) L lanwern M oat ( 136) * Caer L icyn ( 137)
S T 1 740 9 53 8 S T 3 700 8 824 S T 3 900 9 290
M ONTGOMERYSHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .11) P robable M yM yM yM yM yM yM y-
1 * Cwrt y P erson ( 95) 2 G uilsfield W ithin ( 138) 3 * Nantcribba ( 42) 4 * Old M ills ()4 3)(67)(93) 5 L landrinio ( 2)(3) 6 * Tregynon(10)(97) 7 U pper A ldress ( 139)
S J S J S J S J S J S O S O
1 536 1 353 2 223 135 2 414 0 134
2 775 1 287 2 960 1 710
S
7 5 x 6 9 - 2 90 x 1 90
0 .119
4 50
2 851 9 58 1
✓ S
1 25 x 9 0 1 80 x 1 80
0 .744
2 182 0 070 1 871 1 927
S V -
3 30 x d iam . 1 00 x 2 10 x
2 40 1 30 1 00 2 00
0 .305 0 .230 0 .964
5 5 1 75 1 40 9 0
x x x x
5 0 1 75 10 8 5
0 .063 0 .703 0 .354 0 .176
1 50 2 25 4 20
5 5 x 1 01 x
5 5 8 2
0 .069 0 .190 0 .620
5 65 2 60 4 o 15
0 977 9 834
0 .258
6 25
P ossible M y- 8 P las y n D inas ( 19)(22) Lletty E wk ( 27) M y- 9 * M y-10 H enfron ( 140) G wenthriew ( 141) M y-11
S J S O S O S O
1 899 8 400 9 621 9 009
1 .8 18
2 40 8 ) 40 5 80 7 90
P EMBROKESHIRE S ITES ( Fig . 2 .7) P robable P eP eP eP e-
1 * Llwyn-yr-alarch ( 64) 2 * Castell C och ( 40) 3 * Court M oat ( 7 ) 4) 4 * Hodgeston M oat ( 142)
S M 8 191 2 696 S N 0 713 1 368 S N 1 353 3 94 1
-
s s 0 282 9 945
s s
S N S N S R S S
S -
6 0
P ossible P eP eP eP e-
5 6
* Woodstock R ing ( 96) T umped P ark ( 143) K ing 's M ill E wk ( 144) 7 8 E ast M oor E wk ( 145)
0 229 2 564 0 822 1 056 9 241 9 880 0 484 9 820
1 80 x 1 50 _
nd 1 8) R ADNORSHIRE S ITES ( Figs . 2 .12 a P robable R a- 1 P ant y C aregl ( 91) R a- 2 L ower H ouse ( 1) 46) R a- 3 * Old M ynachdy ( 10)(44)
S O 1 982 7 932 s o 2 255 4 449 S O 2 295 6 972
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5 8
S
d iam .
1 00
0 .180
8 30
6 6 x 4 0
0 .061
2 35
3 30 x 1 80
1 .364
6 80
P ossible R a- 4 * Court L lechryd ( 63) S O R a- 5 G lascwm E wk ( 10)(146a) S O R a- 6 L lanshiver ( 1 )4 7) S O R a- 7 L ittle M ountain(10)( 147a )S0 R a- 8 F ountain H ead ( 1 )4 8) S O R a- 9 * Cascob M oat ( 25) S O R a10 * Old R adnor C . ( 10)(26) S O
0 260 1 310 2 005 2 150 2 259 2 287 2 503
5 310 5 940 4 768 4 960 7 275 6 560 5 901
-
5 50 x 5 00
V - 2 60 x 1 00 x - d iam . S d iam .
1 97 1 00 1 00 1 20
6 .313
1 .176 0 .230 0 .180 0 .260
4 60 1 030 9 75 160 1 220 8 60 8 40
A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS T hanks a re d ue t o M r P eter S mith , S ecretary o f T he R oyal C ommission o n A ncient M onuments ( Wales), f or p ermission t o s ummarise t he r ecent s urvey o f G lamorgan s ites w hich w ill e ventually a ppear i n f ull i n V olume 3 , P art i i . E rrors o f f act o r i nterpretation w hich m ay r equire c orrecting i n t he I nventory a re t he r esponsibility o f t he w riter a nd n ot T he C ommission . Ia m m uch i ndebted t o m y c olleague H oward T homas, w ho , b esides g enerously a llowing m e t o u se h is p lan o f H ighlight a nd d escribe t he m ain r esults o f h is p rivate e xcavation t here i n a dvance o f i ts p ublication , h as s hared w ith m e t he C ommission w ork i n G lamorgan a nd i dentified m any o f t he ' new ' s ites t here. A nother c olleague, D avid B rowne, k indly r elieved m e o f t he g rim t ask o f c alculating t he a reas o f t he 1 00 s ites f or w hich p lans o r i nformation w ere a vailable. M y f riend J eremy K night o f T he I nspectorate o f A ncient M onuments h as m uch i mproved o n m y o riginal i nformation f or M onmouthshire . F inally , ag reat d ebt i s o wed t o t he f ield o fficers o f t he O rdnance S urvey , w ithout w hose e fforts t his p rovisional s urvey w ould h ave b een i mpossible .
N OTES 1
D . B . H ague a nd C . W arhurst , ' Excavations a t S ycharth C astle, D enbighshire, 1 962-63 ', A rch C amb ., 1 966, p p . 1 08 f f . ( The p oem i n W elsh , w ith t ranslation , d iscussion a nd r eferences, p p . 1 09-12).
2
D . R . T homas, ' Llandrinio i n t he 1 5th c entury - T wo P oems b y G utto 'r G lyn , c .1430-1470 ', M ont . C oll ., 1 904, 1 43-54. ( Thomas g ives t he p oem i n W elsh , t ogether w ith a t ranslation w hich i s q uoted h ere .) F or G utto 'r G lyn s ee D .W .B ., p . 3 22.
3
T hus n amed o n s ome O .S . m aps; s ee D . R . T homas , A rch . C amb ., 2 5-28 .
1 893
L t
M .S .R .G ., R eport N o . 2 ,
5
A rch . C amb .,
6
F .
7
R .C .A .M . ( Wales) I nventories a re p ublished f or M ontgomeryshire ( 1911); F lintshire ( 1912); R adnorshire ( 1913); D enbighshire ( 1914); C armarthenshire ( 1917); M erionethshire ( 1921); P embrokeshire ( 1925); A nglesey ( 1937); C aernarvonshire ( Vol . 1 , 1 956; V ol. 2 , 1 960 ; V ol . 3 , 1 9 . G lamorgan , V ol. 1 ( 1976) c overs p re-medieval r emains, V ol . 3
V .
1 963,
1 975.
1 59.
E mery , T he W orld 's L andscapes, 2 , W ales,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
5 9
1 969, 4 3.
c overing m edieval r emains i s i n p reparation . 8
D . P ratt , ' Moated S ettlements i n M aelor ', J . F lints . H ist . S oc ., 1 964, 10-20. A bbreviated P ratt i n f ollowing n otes.
9
T he f ive s ites a re: R oche C astle , C arms . ( L . A . S . B utler , C arm . A ntiq ., 1 962 , 9 -15); G reen L ane , F lints . ( J . R igg , J . F lints. H ist . S oc ., 1 961, 9 2-93 a nd p lan , F ig . 1 ); L lysworney , G lam . ( R . C . N ichol-Carne , A rch . C amb ., 1 865, 2 04-05); C rick M oat , M on . ( Mon . & C aerleon A nt . A ss ., 1 860 , 1 5-16); W orleton , G lam . ( Arch . C amb ., 1 933 , 3 98-99). O nly t he f irst t wo a ccounts a re a dequately f ull .
1 0
P hotographs o f t he C ommittee f or A erial P hotography o f t he U niversity o f C ambridge, a bbreviated C .A .P. i n l ater n otes, a re a vailable f or t he f ollowing W elsh s ites : H en D refor , A ng . ( AOG 6 9 a nd 7 1); L lanafan F awr , B recs. ( BID 1 8 a nd 2 0); T y M awr , C aerns . ( ML 1 8 a nd 1 9); L lys A rthur , C ards. ( SN 3 4 a nd 3 8); E ithin M en , ( AQF 1 0); Y stum E nlli O utwork , C arms . ( XV 1 8); L lanwrda E arthwork , C arms. ( AOV 7 3); T rebersed , C arms. ( BLH 5 5); L iege C astle , G lam . ( AOV 2 5 a nd A FS 9 7); H ighlight , G lam . ( AJA- 6 7 )7 U ndy M oat , M on . ( AZQ 9)4 ); P las y n D inas , M ont . ( ABP 9 1); T regynon , M ont . ( ARN 1 ) 4); O ld M ynachdy , R ads. ( AZW 9 5); O ld R adnor C astle , R ads. ( ADQ 4 0 a nd A UC 7 3); L ittle M ountain E arthwork , R ads . ( ARN 8 9); G lascwm E arthwork , R ads . ( AZW 8 7 a nd B FU 5 2). A s ite n ot n oticed i n t ime f or i nclusion h ere m ight b e i ndicated a t L langattock V ibon A vel , M on ., o n B HJ 4 6 a nd 4 7.
1
P hotocopies o f R ichard K ay 's f ield n otebooks ( covering s ites o f a ll t ypes, m ainly i n S outh W ales, g iving d etailed a nd f inely i llustrated a ccounts) a nd o f a n u ndergraduate t hesis b y R . J . O wens ( on B reconshire e arthworks) a re i ncorporated i n t he N ational M onuments R ecord f or W ales h oused a t t he C ommission 's o ffice a t A berystwyth .
1 2
R .C .A .M ., A ng ., p p . 12-13 a nd I ntroduction p . L XXV , C .A .P . n o . A OG 6 9 a nd 7 1 f or H en D refor .
1 3
R .C .A .M ., C arms., N o . 4 68 a nd F ig . 1 35; A H istory o f C armarthenshire , V ol . 1 , 10; O .S .R . ( 1968 a nd 1 977).
1 4
R .C . A .M ., C arms ., N o .
1 5
H .
1 6
V . E . N ash-Williams , A rch . C amb ., 1 933 , 3 42 ; H . N . S avory , B .B .C .S . X III , 1 948-50 , 2 38; B radney , H istory o f M on ., I II, 1 921, 1 52 ; 0 .S .R . ( D . E dwards, 1 958 a nd B . H . P ritchard 1 967).
1 7
V . E . N ash-Williams , i bid ., ( D . E dwards 1 957).
1 8
K ay N otebook , e ntry o f 1 5th A p . 1 950; O wens ' T hesis; M S n ote b y L t . C ol. L lywelyn M organ i n N .M .R .; 0 .S .R ., G . H . P itcher , 1 962 .
1 9
R .C .A .M ., C aerns., I I, N o .
2 0
R .C .A .M ., C a ms., N o .
5 08 a nd F ig .
N . S avory , B .B .C .S ., X V ,
1 47; C .A .P. N o . A QF 1 0 .
1 952-54, 7 3 ; O .S .R .
( 1957 a nd 1 97) 4 ).
3 42; H . N . S avory , i bid ., 2 38 ; O .S .R .
1 335 a nd F ig . 1 56; 0 .S .R.,
1 39; A rch . C amb.,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
6 0
( 1972).
1 963 , p . 9 1; D . C athcart
K ing , C hateau G aillard , I II, p .
11; 0 .S .R .,
1 974.
2 1
R .C .A .M ., C arms., N o . 3 27; W . L l . M organ , A ntiquarian S urvey o f E ast G ower , 1 899, 8 -9 a nd h is u npublished n otes o f 1 915 i n t he N .M .R .; C .A .P . N o . X V 1 8 .
2 2
R .C.A .M ., M onts ., N o . 6 64; C . J . S purgeon , M ont . C oll ., 1 965-66, 4 9-50 ; T .G . J ones, M ont . C oll ., 1 871, 8 ; C .A .P., N o . A BP 9 1; 0 .S .R . ( 1973).
2 3
T ransactions o f t he H onourable S ociety o f C ymmrodorion , p . 5 4.
2 4
S urveyed 1 977 f or R .C .A .M . I II , P art 1 .
2 5
R .C .A .M .,
2 6
R .C .A .M ., R ads ., N o . 5 52; C .A .P . N os. A DQ 4 0 a nd A UC 7 3; 0 .S .R ., 1 973.
2 7
R .C .A .M ., M onts ., N o .
2 8
E lizabeth O wles , P rod . S uffolk I nstitute p art 2 , 1 968 .
2 9
A rch . C amb ., 1 855, 18 , a nd 1 967 , 17; M organ a nd W akeman , N otices o f P encoyd C astle a nd L angstone , M onmouth , 1 865 , 5 -32; 0 .S.R. ( D . E dwards, 1 957); A . J . P arkinson , M S a ccount i n N .M .R .
3 0
W . G . T homas, o fficial g uidebook , H .M .S .O .,
3 1
R .C .A .M ., C aerns., p p . C XLVII a nd 9 0, w ith p lan ; A rch. C amb ., 4 3; 0 .S .R ., 1 967 a nd 1 970 .
3 2
D .W .B ., p . 3 19.
3
R .C .A .M ., C aerns, I I, N o . 167 a nd F ig . 1 970; C .A .P ., N os. M L 1 8 a nd 1 9.
3 4
0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite, w ho d iscovered t he s ite i n 1 962.
3 5
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o . 2 19, 0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite,
3 6
R .C .A .M ., M er ., N o . 3 9 ; A rch . C amb ., 1 958 , O wen G lendower , O xford , 1 931, 1 5 a nd 6 1.
3 7
T he F irst P art o f H enry I V , A ct I II, s cene i .
3 8
H andlist , C ards .,
3 9
H andlist , i bid ., s ite V 13 ; C .A .P ., N os. 3 4 a nd 3 8; A . H . A . H ogg , M S n ote i n N .M .R .
4 0
R .C .A .M ., P embs ., N o . 8 29; A rch . C amb ., 1 922, 4 75-78 ; f or t he m edieval m anor o f ' Newhouse ' s ee R ees, M ap a nd R ees, S .W .M ., 1 41.
f or e ventual i nclusion i n G lam ., V olume
R ads ., N o . 9 ; 0 .S .R .
( 1974).
3 33; A .W ., X III,
1 970,
1 899-1900,
1 973, N o . 8 1, p . 5 5. o f A rchaeology , X XXI,
1 971.
16 a nd p late 4 ; 0 .S .R .
6 1
1 962.
1 39; J . E . L loyd,
1 3 , s ite V 2; 0 .S .R .,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 847 ,
1 974.
4 1
P ratt ,
1 964.
4 2
R .C .A .M ., M onts., N o . 1 77. S urvey m ade b y w riter i n 1 963. F or t he a djacent c astle, d estroyed 1 263 a nd t he p robable p redecessor o f t he m oated s ite , s ee C . J . S purgeon , M ont . C oll ., V ol . 5 7, 1 25-36 a nd V ol . 5 9, 3 5-36.
4 3
R .C .A .M ., M onts ., N o .
4 4
R .C .A .M ., R ads., N o. 3 76; C .A .P ., N o. A ZW 9 5; 0 .S .R .,
4 5
R ees, M ap; R ees, B recon , F ig . f acing p . 2 .
4 6
R ees, B recon , p . 4 0 .
4 7
R ees , B recon , p . 4 0 .
4 8
R ees, S .W .M ., 2 78 a nd n ote, 2 55 a nd n ote; o n R ees, M ap , m arked a s t he d emesne m anor o f ' Lake '; 0 .S .R ., 1 973 .
4 9
O wens ' T hesis,
5 0
T his p ossible e xplanation w as k indly o ffered b y J eremy K night.
5 1
B radney , AH istory o f M onmouth , I V , 1 929, 5 1-56; 0 .S.R ., D . E dwards, 1 957; R ees , M ap s hows t he s ite a s l ying v ery c lose t o t he w est b oundary o f t he e piscopal m anor o f M athern , t hough i tself r epresented a s ak night 's f ee.
5 2
P . V . W ebster , B .B .C .S ., X XV ,
5 3
R ees, M ap . -t he k night 's f ee o f ' Wondy '; 0 .S .R., D . E dwards , C .A .P ., N o . A ZQ 9 4.
5 4
R ees, M ap - T he k night 's f ee o f ' Parthir '; N . C oxe , H ist . T our M onm ., 1 801, 3 14-17; B radney , H istory o f M onm ., I , 1 907, 2 9-31; C . J . 0 . E vans, M onmouthshire, I ts H istory a nd T opography , 1 954, 4 66-7; 0 .S .R ., N . V . Q uinnell , 1 958.
5 5
F ieldwork o n t he m oated s ites o f G lamorgan h as r ecently b een c ompleted a nd w ill e ventually b e p ublished i n R .C .A .M ., G lam ., V ol . 3 , P art i i. T he p rovisional c onclusions a nd p lans g iven h ere, w ith t he p ermission o f t he S ecretary o f t he C ommission , a re t he r esponsibility o f t he w riter a nd m ay r equire c orrection i n t he o fficial I nventory . S ee a lso S purgeon & T homas , M .S .R.G ., V , 1 978 , 5 -8 a nd M organnwg , X XII, 1 978 , p p . 1 4-41.
5 6
C . J . S purgeon , i n ' The C astles o f M ontgomeryshire ', M ont . C oll ., L IX , 1 965-66, 5 -6.
5 7
P ossibly a h unting l odge i n t he m edieval d eerpark o f C lun , d isparked b y L eland 's t ime .
5 8
V estiges o f ar ectangular d itched e nclosure i mmediately a djacent t o t he f ine 1 6th c entury m anor h ouse o f L lancaiach F awr . T hough i ts s ituation m ight s uggest t he s ite r epresents t he p redecessor
1 50 .
1 96-97 a nd p lan ; 0 .S .R .,
1 974.
1 973 .
1 974 , 5 12-18, p lan p . 5 14.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 6 2
1 957;
o f t he T udor h ouse , t he a lternative o f aR oman d ate i s e qually p ossible. T he R oman f ort a t G elligaer i s l ittle o ver a m ile a way , a nd f ive p ractice c amps a re k nown i n t he a rea . 5 9
J . S . C orbett , G lamorgan , P apers & N otes o n t he L ordship & i ts M embers, e d . D . R . P aterson , C ardiff , 1 925, 2 21; G . T . C lark , C artae e t a lia M unimenta .. d e G lamorgancia ( Cartae), 1 st E dn . 1 S85-93 , 1 44-45; A rch . C amb ., 1 933 , 3 98-99; R ice L ewis , AB reviat o f G lamorgan , 1 596-lbuu, e d . W . R ees , S outh W ales & Monmou t h H ecord S ociety P ublications N o . 3 , 1 954, 1 36 a nd f ootnotes 1 a nd 3 .
6 0
M errick , G lam A ntiqs .
6 1
W . R ees, H istory o f t he O rder o f S t. J ohn o f J erusalem i n W ales &o n t he W elsh B order , C ardiff , 1 947, 5 3; R ees, i n R ice L ewis , B reviat e tc . ( see n ote 5 9), p . 1 43 w ith f ootnote.
6 2
R .C .A .M ., F lints., N o .
6 3
R .C.A .M .,
6 4
R .C .A .M., N o . 5 01; 0 .S .R ., J . R . F oster , 1 966; R ees, M ap s hows t he s ite a s l ying i n t he l ands o f t he B ishop o f S t D avids a bout 4 i m iles n orth-east o f t he c athedral .
6 5
M errick , G lam . A ntiqs .
6 6
M .S .R .G ., R eport N o .
6 7
R .C .A .M ., M onts., N o .
6 8
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o . 3 49; t he r eport o f t he s ubordinate e nclosures b y T . P . W aggot, 0 .S .R ., 1 963 .
6 9
R .C .A .M ., F lints., N o . ( as ' Halghton M oat ').
7 0
S ee n ote 5 3 .
7 1
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 2 10 ( very i nadequate); T . A . G lenn , E xcavations a t L lys E dwin , C elyn F arm , N orthop , F lints. ( reprinted f rom T he F amily o f G riffith o f G arn a nd P lasnewydd, L ondon , 1 934); E llis D avies , P rehistoric a nd R oman R emains o f F lintshire , 1 949, 2 90-91.
7 2
0 . E . C raster a nd J . M . L ewis, ' Hen G wrt M oated S ite, L lantilio C rossenny , M onmouthshire', A rch . C amb ., 1 963 , 1 59-83; H andlist , M on ., N o. 2 , s ection V , p . 1 2 .
7 3
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o .
7 4
R .C .A .M ., P embs., N o . 2 36; 0 .S .R .,
7 5
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o.
7 6
H . J . T homas , I nterim n otes o n t he e xcavation i n M organnwg , X ,
R ads ., N o .
( 1578),
14 ; L hwyd , P arochialia , I II, 1 38 .
3 24; P ratt 1 964 , N o .
3 31; A rch . C amb .,
( 1578),
1 , 1 973 ,
1 5 a nd F ig . e .
1 858 , 6 06-08 a nd 1 911,
1 35 .
14. 1-12.
1 50 .
3 22; P ratt 1 964 ,
3 48 ; P ratt ,
16, N o .
1 964, N o . 2a nd F ig . 3 d. B . H . P ritchard,
1 07; 0 .S .R., R . W . E msley ,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
6 3
1 4 a nd F ig . 3 c .
1 966.
1 959.
1 966 , 6 3-66 ; X I , 1 967 , 8 2-83 ; X IV , 1 970 , 8 8-92. T he p lan , F ig . 2 0, a nd t he i nformation g iven h ere w as k indly p rovided b y H oward T homas. 7
T he G lamorgan m edieval r ound-cornered h alls w ill b e d iscussed i n t he e xcavation r eport o n t he B urry H olms m onastic s ettlement ( Arch . C amb ., f orthcoming).
7 8
L . A lcock , A ntiquaries J ournal , X LVI ,
7 9
R ees, A tlas, P lates 3 9 a nd 4 1, p p .
8 0
R ees, A tlas, P late 4 5, p p . 4 0-42 .
8 1
A . H . A . H ogg a nd D . J . C . K ing , A rch . C amb .,
1 966,
1 78-210, F ig . 8 .
3 4-38 .
1 967, m aps 1 a nd 2 ,
p p . 7 8-79 . 8 2
S mith ,
8 3
a dith , H .W .C " p p . 1 0, 1, 2 3 a nd 3 39 .
8 4
W . R ees , T he U nion o f E ngland a nd W ales , U niversity o f W ales P ress , C ardiff , 1 948 , 4( reprinted f rom T ransactions o f t he
H .W .C ., M ap 1 , p p .
38-39 .
H onourable S ociety o f C ymmrodorion ,
1 937).
8 5
R ees , A tlas , P late 4 7, p p . 4 4-46 .
8 6
S mith , H .W .C ., M ap 2 , p p .
8 7
S ee n ote 3 6.
8
S mith , H .W .C ., M ap 2 6b , p p . 4 34-35.
8 9
S mith , H .W .C ., M ap 2 2, p p . 4 22-23 , d iscussed p p . 9 7-98 . ( N .B . A lthrey H all a s am oated s ite w as i nadvertently o mitted f rom t he m aps , l ist a nd d iscussion , e xcepting t his m ention . T hree o ther s ites h ave a lso b een r eported s ince w riting , g iving a r evised g rand t otal o f 1 32 )
9 0
L lys F arm i s d escribed , w ithout m ention o f t he m oat i n R .C .A .M ., F lints., N o . 1 69, a nd 0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite , 1 961, s tates t hat n o t race o f t he m oat w as f ound. H . E . P arry , P roc . D yserth a nd D istrict F ield C lub , 1 949, 6 1 , h owever , c laimed t hat ' ... t he r emains o f t he m oat c an b e s een '.
9 1
R .C .A .M ., R ads ., N o . 8 4 ; R ees, M ap; t he p resent h ouse, p robably o f t he 1 6th c entury , i ncorporates a s eries o f c arved s tone h eads i n i ts w alling , r eputedly d erived f rom C ymhir A bbey ( Inventory).
9 2
R .C.A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 28; 0 .S .R ., 1 9 73 ; t he s ite i s r eputedly t hat o f t he r ectory o f t he C anons o f H aughmond , S alop ., s equestered a t t he D issolution . S unter H arrison ( unpaginated f acsimile t ypescript i n N .L .W . e ntitled ' Churches o f M aelor S aesneg ') n otes t his s ite a s l ying i n ' vicarage f ield'.
9 3
R ees, M ap .
3 40-41.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
6 4
9 4
R ees, M ap m arks t his p lace a s t he s ite o f ag range o f t he P remonstratensian A bbey o f T alley , C arms .; R .C.A.M ., C arms., N o . 2 59; T ransactions o f t he C a ms . A ntiquarian S oc ., X , 1 914,
1 0 .
9 5
R .C.A .M ., M onts., N o . 7 74; M ont . C oll ., 1 876, 3 27; s urveyed b y t he w riter i n 1 964, w hen m oat w as s till w et a nd t he i nterior o vergrown .
9 6
R .C .A .M ., P embs., N o . 4 ; 0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite,
9 7
R .C .A .M ., M onts., N o . 8 99; C .A.P ., N o . A RN 1 4; s urveyed b y t he w riter i n 1 975.
9 8
R ees , S .W . M ., 2 78 a nd n ote .
9 9
C eredigion , I , 1 950, 1 99-200; I I, 1 952, 3 9-52; I II, 1 964-67 , 8 4-93 T here i s aM S a ccount o f 1 965 b y L . A . S . B utler i n t he N .M .R .
1 00 0 .S .R .,
1 966 a nd 1 974 .
1 973; O wens, T hesis, 2 08-09, w ith p lan .
1 01 R ees , M ap s hows t his s ite a s i n t he v icinity o f t he k night 's f ee o f ' Laughty ' ( the m odern T alachdu); 0 .S .R ., 1 973; O wens, T hesis, 1 98-99; K ay N otebook , 1 955 . 1 02 S avory , B .B .C .S ., X IV , 1 950-52, 7 5; 0 .S .R ., 1 973; O wens , T hesis, 2 00-01; R ees M ap e quates T redurn w ith t he m edieval m esne m anor ' Dynourton '. 1 03
0 .S .R ., 1 973; O wens, T hesis, 2 06-07; t he s ite i s i ncluded i n t he u npublished ' Notes o n B reconshire C astles ' b y W . L l . M organ i ncorporated i n t he N .M .R .
1 04 T . J ones, H istory o f B recknock , I I, 1 809, 3 75; 0 .S .R., 1 973; O wens, T hesis , 2 02-03 ; R ees M ap s hows t he s ite a s l ying n ear t he m anorial c entre o f P entre S ollers, a n ame s urviving a lmost u nchanged a s P entre S ollars, a n earby f arm . 1 05 D . J . C . K ing , B rycheiniog , V II , 1 961, N o . 1 2 , p p . 8 2-3 ; A . H . A . H ogg a nd D . J . C . K ing , A rch . C amb ., 1 967, 7 5 a nd 8 4 ; O wens, T hesis , 1 44 . 1 )6 K nown o nly f rom i ts s cheduling a s am oated s ite i n t he l ist p ublished i n 1 974. 1 06aDescribed i n W . L l . M organ 's u npublished ' Notes o n B reconshire C astles' i n t he N .M .R .; C .A .P . N os . B ID 1 8 a nd 2 0 . 1 07 R .C .A .M ., C arms ., N o .
6 39; 0 .S .R.,
1 976.
1 08 J . F . J ones, C arm . A ntiq ., I II, 1 961, 2 0 1; C .A.P . N o . B LH 5 5; 0 .S .R ., R . W . E msley , 1 967; R ees, M ap s hows t he s ite, n amed ' Treberchet ', a s l ying w ithin t he b orough b ounds o f C armarthen 1 08aC .A .P . N o . A OV 7 3 ; t he 0 .S .R ., 1 968 a nd 1 969, i nclines t o s ee t he s ite a s aR oman f ortlet , b ut i t l ies o n m arshy g round a nd am edieval d ate c annot y et b e r uled o ut . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
6 5
1 09
0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite , w ho d iscovered i t i n 1 963 .
10
D iscovered b y J . H . W hite ,
11
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o .
1 05; 0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite, 1 963 .
12
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o .
1 79; 0 .S .R ., D . A . D avies , 1 959 a nd 1 975 .
13
0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite ,
14
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o .
15
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o . 5 7; 0 .S .R .,
16
R .C .A .M ., D enbs ., N o . 3 52 ; P ennant, T ., T our i n W ales i n 1 773 , E d . J . R hys , C aernarvon , 1 883 , V ol . I I , 1 76.
17
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., p . 11; P ratt , N o . 0 .S .R ., 1 973 a nd 1 975 .
18
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 59; P ratt , N o . 4 , p .
19
0 .S .R .,
1 20
R .C .A .M ., F lints., p p . 15-17; A rch . C amb ., 1 888 , 2 9-41 a nd 2 75-96 ; P ratt , N o . 5 ; 0 .S .R ., 1 971 a nd 1 973 .
1 21
R .C .A .M ., F lints., N o . 3 54; A rch . C amb ., 1 2 , p . 15, F ig . 3 b ; 0 .S .R ., 1 973 .
1 22
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 21; P ratt , N o . 7 ; 0 .S .R .,
1 973 .
1 23
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 34; P ratt , N o . 8 ; 0 .S .R .,
1 976.
1 24
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 49; P ratt , N o . 3 ; 0 .S .R .,
1 960 a nd 1 973 .
1 25
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 61; P ratt , N o . 6 ; 0 .S .R .,
1 973.
1 26
P ratt , N o .
1 27
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 3 55; A rch . C amb ., 3 54-55; 0 .S .R ., 1 973; P ratt , N o . 1 3 .
1 28
R .C .A .M ., F lints ., N o . 39 ; P ratt , N o . 9 . AN orman a nd a n E arly E nglish c apital a re s aid t o h ave b een f ound a t t he s ite.
1 29
P ratt , N o .
1 961.
1 963 ( 0 .S .R .).
T his m oat w as f illed i n b y 1 975 .
1 84; 0 .S .R ., J . R igg ,
1 959; A .S .P .,
1 975 .
1 959 , d estroyed b y 1 963 .
1 , p .
14 , F ig . 3 a ;
14; 0 .S .R .,
1 973 .
1 976 .
1, p p .
1 874 , 2 13; P ratt, N o .
15 a nd 19. 1 874 , 2 14 a nd 1 888 ,
1 6 .
1 29a R .C .A .M ., G lam ., V ol . 1 , P art 2 , N o . 6 38 a nd F ig . 1 0; C .A.P ., N os . A OV 2 5 a nd A FS 9 7 ; M errick , G lam . A ntiqs . ( 1578); L iege C astle w as a s ub-manor o f B onvilston h eld b y t he N orris f amily o f P enllyn i n t he 1 4th c entury . 1 30 1 31
0 .S .R .; K ay N otebook , I II , 2 36 , w ith p lan a nd s ketch. J . A . B radney , H istory o f M onmouth , I I ,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 6 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 911-14, 7 6; 0 .S .R .,
N .V . Q uinnell ,
1 957; H andlist , M on ., N o . V 4.
1 32
H andlist, M on ., N o . V 6; s cheduled a s ' Goldcliff m oated h ouse s ite '. T he a djacent B enedictine P riory p ertained t o B ec.
1 33
0 .S .R., D . E dwards , 1 957; s cheduled s ite ( 197 )4 l ist); H andlist , M on ., N o . V 8; O n R ees, M ap L angston i s m arked a s t he k night's f ee o f L angeston .
1 34
0 .S .R., D . E dwards, 1 957; H andlist , M on ., N o . V 9; n earby i s C ourt F armwhichincorporates17th c entury d etail.
1 35
Ad itched s quare e nclosure w ith i nner b ank ( ex i nf . J eremy K night , 3 /2/78).
1 36
H andlist , M on ., N o . V 7; B radney , H istory o f M onmouth , I V , 1 932; 0 .S .R., D . E dwards, 1 957; i n t he v icinity m arked b y R ees ' M ap a s t he k night 's f ee o f M ilton .
1 37
H andlist , M on ., N o . V 10; 0 .S.R ., 1 957 ( as a m otte a nd b ailey); R ees , M ap ; ad oubtful s ite, b ut , i n t he o pinion o f J eremy K night , t he l ow m ound w ithin i s n ot a m otte , p erhaps a b arrow .
1 38
R .C .A .M ., M onts., N.
1 39
R .C .A .M ., M onts., N o . 17; t his s ite s till h ad a s ubstantial w et m oat e nclosing a n i npenetrably o vergrown i sland w hen s een b y w riter i n 1 962 . R ees, M ap s hows ' Aldredisleye ' s ettlement h ere, w ithin t he l ordship o f H alcetor .
1 40
0 .S .R ., 1 972, w here i t i s d escribed a s ' ... o f h omestead-like ..' a ppearance , w ith s tone-revetted i sland, b ut w as r egarded a s m ore p robably a m odern d uck d ecoy . N ot y et s een b y w riter .
1 41
M . E . L loyd , M ont . C oll ., 1 902 , 3 06-07; 0 .S .R ., 1 972; W . G . P utnam , i n l itt., r egards i t a s am edieval , r ather t han a R oman s ite .
1 42
R .C .A .M ., P embs., N o .
1 43
0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite,
1 44
R .C .A .M ., P embs., N o . 1 45; 0 .S .R ., T . P . W aggott , 1 965; D .W . C rossley , B .B .C .S ., X X , 1 963, p . 1 93 , N o . 8 ( as a h ill-fort).
1 45
R .C .A .M ., P embs ., N o . 6 52 d escribes a r uined h ouse b ut m entions n o m oat . I ndications t hat t he r uins w ere w ithin a m oat w ere r ecorded b y W . G . T homas i n 1 972 ( Letter i n N .M .R .).
1 46
R .C .A .M ., R ads ., N o .
1 99; 0 .S .R .,
1 973 .
3 29; 0 .S .R ., J . H . W hite, 1 965, a nd D .R .B .,
18; 0 .S .R .,
1 975 ( unclassified).
1 973.
1 46a C .A .P ., N os . A ZW 8 7, B FU 5 0 a nd 5 2; 0 .S .R . v ery d oubtful s ite. 1 47
1 965.
( unclassified); a
R .C .A .M ., R ads., N o. 17; J . W illiams, A rch . C amb., 0 .S .R ., 1 972 ( 'no s urface e vidence o f i t r emains').
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 6 7 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 858 , 5 23 ;
1 47a C .A .P ., N o . A RN 8 9; R .C.A .M ., R ads. N o . 5 36 ( unclassified); H . N . S avory , B .B .C .S ., X V , 1 952 , 7 9 , N o . 2 ( 'Probably R oman o r p ost R oman '); 0 .S .R . n otes t he o pinion o f P rof . I an R ichmond t hat t he s ite i s p ost R oman . 1 48
R .C .A .M ., R ads., N o . 3 75; J . W illiams, H istory o f R adnorshire, 1 905, 3 07; H . N . S avory , B .B .C .S ., X V , 1 954, 7 9; 0 .S .R ., 1 975.
1 49
A BBREVIATIONS A ND B IBLIOGRAPHY
A rch . C amb .
A rchaeologia C ambrensis, T he J ournal o f t he C ambrian A rchaeological A ssociation.
A .W .
A rchaeology i n W ales, T he a nnual n ewsletter o f G roup 2 , W ales, o f t he C ouncil f or B ritish A rchaeology .
B .B .C .S .
T he B ulletin o f t he B oard o f C eltic S tudies, U niversity o f W ales.
B rycheiniog
T he J ournal o f t he B recknock S ociety .
C .A .P .
C ambridge U niversity C ollection o f A erial P hotographs .
C arm . A ntiq .
T he C armarthenshire A ntiquary , T he T ransactions o f t he C armarthenshire A ntiquarian S ociety .
C eredigion .
T he J ournal o f t he C eredigion A ntiquarian S ociety .
D .W .B .
T he D ictionary o f W elsh B iography d own t o 1 940, T he H onourable S ociety o f C ymmrodorion , L ondon , 1 959.
H andlist
R oyal C ommission o n A ncient M onuments, H and-lists o f t he F ield M onuments o f W ales : ( i) C ardiganshire, 1 970. ( ii) M onmouthshire ( Gwent), 1 973 .
J . F lints. H ist . S oc.
T he J ournal o f t he F lintshire H istorical S ociety
K ay , N otebook
R ichard E . K ay 's M S f ield n otebooks. P hotocopies o f i ndividual s ite a ccounts a nd i llustrations d istributed i n r elevant f iles o f t he N .M .R .
L hwyd, P arochialia
P arochialia , B eing a S ummary o f A nswers t o P arochial Q ueries i n o rder t o a G eographical D ictionary , E tc., o f W ales, i ssued b y E dward L lwyd , E d. R . H . M orris
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 6 8 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
a s A rch. C amb . S upplements, P arts I ( 1909), I I ( 1910) a nd I II ( 1911). M errick ,
G lam . A ntiqs.
( 1578) A B ooke o f G lamorganshires A ntiquities. B y R ice M errick E sq. 1 578, E d. J . A . C orbett, L ondon , 1 887 ( Now r eprinted b y D ryden P ress f or S tewart W illiams, L ondon , 1 972).
M ont. C oll.
T he M ontgomeryshire C ollections. J ournal o f t he P owyslandClub.
M organnwg .
T he J ournal o f t he G lamorgan H istory S ociety.
M .S .R .G .
T he M oated S ites R esearch G roup .
N .L .W .
T he N ational L ibrary o f W ales ( Aberystwyth).
N .M .R .
T he N ational M onuments R ecord, W ales ( housed a t t he R .C .A.M . o ffice, A berystwyth).
0 .S .R .
O rdnance S urvey r ecord c ard
O wens, T hesis
R . J . O wens, ' Breconshire E arthworks', u ndergraduate t hesis, u npublished ( Cardiff , 1 965). T ypescript c opy i n N .M .R .
P ratt o r P ratt,
1 964
T he
.
D errick P ratt, ' Moated S ettlements i n M aelor ', J . F lints. H ist. S oc., 1 964, 10-20.
R .C.A .M .
R oyal C ommission o n A ncient M onuments i n W ales .
R ees, A tlas
W illiam R ees, A n H istorical A tlas o f W ales f rom E arly t o M odern T imes, C ardiff , 1 951; L ondon , 1 957, 1 963.
R ees, B recon
W illiam R ees, ' The M ediaeval L ordship o f B recon', T he T ransactions o f t he H onourable S ociety o f C ymmrodorion , 1 915-16 ( Reprinted b y t he B recknock S ociety i n A n A ddress P resented t o P rofessor E meritus W illiam R ees, 1 968, p p . 1 -54).
R ees, M ap
W illiam R ees, S outh W ales a nd t he B order i n t he 1 4th c entury, H istorical M ap, 4 s heets a t ii nch t o t he m ile, O rdnance S urvey, 1 933 .
R ees, S .W .M .
W illiam R ees, S outh W ales a nd t he
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
6 9
M arch : aS ocial a nd A grarian S tudy , C larendon P ress, 1 924 ( reprinted b y L ibraries A ssociation , 1 967). S mith , H .W .C .
P eter S mith , H ouses o f t he W elsh C ountryside; a s tudy i n H istorical G eography , H .M .S .O ., L ondon , 1 975.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
7 0
T HE S HIFTING F RONTIER: M EDIEVAL M OATED S ITES I N C OUNTIES C ORK A ND L IMERICK
b y T . B . B arry
I ntroduction T his p resent s tudy i s a n e xtension o f e arlier w ork i n s outhe astern I reland ( Barry 1 977). L ike G lasscock 's o riginal s urvey i n 1 970 o f m oated s ites i n I reland , t his p aper o n t he d istribution , c hronology a nd p robable f unction o f m oated s ites i n c ounties C ork a nd L imerick i s b ased m ainly o n c artographic e vidence , w ith s ome a dditional f ieldwork i nformation a nd t he r esults o f t he e xcavation o f t wo s ites i n C ounty C ork . T he n ext s tage i n t his i nvestigation w ill b e a c omprehensive f ield s urvey t o c heck t he m ap e vidence a nd, h opefully, a s eries o f e xcavations t o f urther e lucidate t he o ccupational h istory o f m oated s ites i n t he r egion . I t h as b een s hown i n t he e arlier s urvey o f s ites i n f our c ounties o f s outh-eastern I reland t hat t he c artographic e vidence, w ith a f ew e xceptions, i s u sually c onfirmed b y t he f ieldwork ( Barry 1 977, 9 -10). W ithout a c omplete f ield s urvey , h owever , n o p recise i dea o f t he r ate o f d estruction o f t hese v ulnerable e arthworks c an b e a rrived a t . B ut i f t he e vidence f rom s outh-eastern I reland c an b e e xtended t o t he t wo c ounties n ow u nder c onsideration , i t w ould s eem t hat a t l east h alf o f t he s ites s hown o n t he f irst e dition o f t he O rdnance S urvey s ix i nch m aps o f t he 1 840s w ill a lready h ave b een r emoved f rom t he l andscape ( Barry 1 978, 2 0). A lthough G lasscock's t otals f or t he d istribution o f ' rectangular e arthworks' i n t he f our c ounties u nder s tudy i n t he e arly 1 970s w ere f ound t o c orrespond c losely w ith t he f inal n umber o f m oated s ites, t his h as n ot b een t he c ase f or C ounty C ork . F or C ounty C ork, G lasscock h ad 1 00 ' certain ' s ites a nd e ighteen p robable s ites. T hese h ave s ince b een r educed t o s eventy b y c hecking h is t otals a gainst t he s econd e dition o f t he O rdnance S urvey s ix i nch m aps, w hich i s g enerally m ore a ccurate i n i ts r epresentation o f e arthworks ( Barry 1 977 , 1 0 ). F or L imerick, t he d iscrepancy i s n ot s o g reat. G lasscock l isted f orty c ertainties a nd f our p robable s ites w hich h ave s ince b een r educed t o t hirty-five ( Figs. 3 .1 a nd 2 ). T hese n ew l ower t otals s hould n ot b e t hought o f a s f inal b ecause f urther f ieldwork w ill p robably i ncrease t he n umber s lightly a s t he o rdnance s urveyors d id n ot m ap a ll o f t hese e arthworks. T he l imited a rchaeological a nd h istorical e vidence f or m oated s ites i n I reland h as i ndicated t hat t he m ajority o f t hem f unctioned a s d efended f armsteads o f A nglo-Norman c olonists i n t he 1 3th a nd 1 4th c enturies, a nd a re u sually c oncentrated i n t he p eripheral a reas Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
' 71
F ig .
3 .1
T he d istribution o f ' rectangular e arthworks ' i n I reland f rom t he f irst e dition o f t he O rdnance S urvey ( 1832-40). ( After G lasscock 1 970)
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 7 2 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
o f t he L ordship w hich c ame u nder i ncreasing G aelic p ressure f rom t he e nd o f t he 1 3th c entury o nwards ( Barry 1 977 , 1 76). M any o f t hese s ites w ere p robably l ocated i n a ssarts , e xpansions o f t he c ultivated a reas o f t he m anors , w hich w ere a f eature o f t he 1 3th c entury t hroughout m uch o f W estern E urope a s ar esult o f p opulation e xpansion ( Russell 1 972, 3 9-41). A s t his a ssarted l and h ad o ften b een c arved o ut o f f orested a reas t he c olonists n eeded s ome f orm o f p rotection a gainst t he w ild a nimals t hat r oamed t here d uring t he m iddle a ges. T he m oat a nd b anks p rovided a q uick a nd f airly c heap s olution t o t his p roblem ( Barry 1 977, 9 6). O ften p rotection w as a lso n eeded a gainst h uman p redators t oo , a s c an b e s een i n a n a ccount r oll o f 1 283-4 o f t he p rovost o f t he m anor o f O ld R oss i n C ounty W exford w here t wo o xen a re r ecorded a s b eing ' stolen b y r obbers '. T hus , i n a s ucceeding a ccount r oll i t w as r ecorded t hat e ight o ut o f t he t otal s tock o f t hirty-six o xen o n t he m anor w ere k ept w ithin t he m oat a nd p alisade o f t he o utf arm o f B allyconnor ( Barry 1 977, 9 6). N o c ounties r eveal t he f rontier-like d istribution o f m oated s ites a s c learly a s c ounties C ork a nd L imerick ( Fig . 3 .2). T he v ast m ajority o f k nown s ites i n t hese t wo c ounties l ies i n ac orridor , s ome 2 3 k m . w ide , s tretching f rom G alley H ead o n t he s outh-eastern c oast o f C ounty C ork n orth-westwards t hrough M allow a nd C harleville a nd o n i nto C ounty L imerick t hrough N ewcastle W est w here i t b ends e astwards a fter A skeaton u ntil i t r eaches t he s outh b ank o f t he R iver S hannon . W est o f t his c orridor t here a re o nly f our e xamples i n C ounty C ork , n one i n C ounty L imerick , w hile i n C ounty K erry t here a re o nly t welve c ertain a nd f ive p ossible s ites s hown b y G lasscock ( Fig . 3 .1). A lthough t his a rea t o t he w est b roadly c oincides w ith u pland a bove 3 00 m . 0 .D ., i t w as a lso t he l and o ver w hich t he G aelic l ords e njoyed aw ide m easure o f a utonomy d uring t he m edieval p eriod ( Nicholls 1 972 , 2 ,13). E nvironmental f actors A s w ell a s t hese h istorical a nd s trategic r easons f or m oat c onstruction , t here w ere a lso i mportant e nvironmental f actors w hich i nfluenced t he s iting o f m any m oated s ites. I n t he e arlier s tudy i n s outh-eastern I reland i t w as p roved s tatistically t hat s oil q uality , v egetation c over a nd a ltitude a ll p layed a s ignificant r ole i n d etermining t he b road d istribution p attern o f m oated s ites ( Barry 1 977, 11-125). A s m any s ites f unctioned a s m anor h ouses w here t he o pen f ield s ystem o f a griculture w as u sually c oncerned w ith t he p roduction o f a rable c rops , i t w as n ot s urprising t hat t hey a re o ften f ound c oncentrated o n t he l owlands w here t he s oil c over w as g enerally d eeper a nd m ore f ertile . I n a ll, a lmost s ixty p er c ent o f m oated s ites i n s outh-eastern I reland w ere l ocated a t a ltitudes u nder 1 00 m . 0 .D . a nd o nly 5 .9 p er c ent a t l ocations o ver 2 00 m . O .D. w here t he t errain w as s teep a nd t he s oil c over w as o ften t hin ( Barry 1 977, 1316). T he s ituation i n c ounties C ork a nd L imerick i s s hown i n t he f ollowing t able :
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 7 3 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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T hus, a lthough t he s ites i n C ounty L imerick s eem t o b e c oncentrated a t a ltitudes u nder 1 00 m . O .D . i t w ould s eem t hat n inety-seven p er c ent o f a ll t hose k nown i n t he t wo c ounties a re l ocated a t a ltitudes u nder 2 00 m . O .D ., w hich c orresponds c losely w ith e arlier r esearch ( Barry 1 977, 2 25). A lthough i t i s f airly c ertain t hat t he a ltitudinal c haracteristics o f t he I rish l andscape h ave n ot c hanged s ignificantly s ince t he m iddle a ges , t he s ame i s n ot t rue f or t he s oil q uality v ariable b ecause o f t he g eneral l ack o f i nformation a bout t he p rocess g overning s oil c hange o ver t he c enturies . T herefore t he m odern r esearcher c annot b e s ure w hether t he c ontemporary a ssessment o f s oil q uality f or a gricultural p urposes b y A n F oras T alüntais ( the N ational S oil S urvey) w ould b roadly a pproximate t o t hat o f t he A nglo-Norman c olonisers . I t i s p robable, h owever , t hat h uman a ctivity b oth d uring a nd a fter t he m edieval p eriod h as c onsiderably a ltered s everal s oil t ypes b y e xtensive m odification o f t he n atural v egetation c over . P opulation e xpansion i n p eriods s uch a s t he 1 3th c entury , a nd i n t he y ears b efore t he F amine o f 1 845-50 w ould h ave c aused a c onsequent e nlargement o f t he c ultivated a reas ' w hibh -w ould h ave a ffected t he l evel o f t he w ater t able. O nly C ounty L imerick o ut o f t he t wo c ounties n ow u nder s tudy h as h ad a d etailed s oil s urvey ( Finch a nd R yan 1 966). F or C ounty C ork , o n t he o ther h and , t here i s o nly t he G eneral S oil M ap o f I reland ( An F oras T alüntais 1 969) w hich i s n ot v ery s atisfactory f or t esting t his e nvironmental v ariable b ecause o f t he s mallness o f i ts s cale ( 1:575,000) a nd b ecause o f t he g eneralised n ature o f t he i nformation . I n t his l atter c ounty s eventy-four p er c ent o f t he s ites a re l ocated o n s oils w ith a c lass A a gricultural s uitability - a w ide u se-range w ith n o s erious a gricultural l imitations . O nly s even a re l ocated o n t he p oorest s uitability c lasses o f Da nd E w here a gricultural u se i s e ither v ery l imited o r e xtremely l imited ( Finch a nd R yan 1 966, 18). I n C ounty L imerick j ust o ver h alf o f t he s ites ( eighteen i n a ll) a re l ocated i n a reas o f c lass A s uitability , b ut h ere a h igher p roportion, t en s ites i n a ll , a re t o b e f ound i n C lass D a reas a nd s ix o n s oils t hat t he S oil S urvey h as b een u nable t o c lassify s atisfactorily . A ll t he s ites o n t he c lass A s oil s uitability c ategory a re l ocated i n t he E lton s eries o f g rey-brown p odzolics, t he m ost c ommon s oil s eries i n t he c ounty ( 27.69 p er c ent o f t he t otal a rea), w hich e xtends e ast f rom F oynes t o t he c ounty b oundary s outh o f O ola a nd f rom t he R iver S hannon t o t he O ld R ed S andstone h ills o f t he s outh . T hey a re m ainly d erived f rom l imestone d rift a nd o ccur n ormally a t e levations l ess t han 1 50 m . O .D . o n f lat o r u ndulating r elief ( Finch a nd R yan 1 966 , 4 9). T hese s oils a re e specially s uitable f or g rass a s w ell a s f or m ost m ajor t ypes o f c ultivable c rops ( Finch a nd R yan 1 966, 9 9).
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
7 5
T he a vailability o f w ater t o s upply t he m oats w as a lso a d etermining f actor i n t he l ocation o f m oated s ites . I n t hese t wo c ounties, t hirty-five p er c ent o f a ll t he s ites w ere e ither s till l inked t o s treams o r w ere l ess t han 1 00 m . a way f rom a n i dentifiable w ater c ourse . M ost o f t he r emainder w ere l ocated o n l evel s urfaces w here t heir m oats w ould h ave b een f ed b y r ainwater , s prings o r s eepage . I ndeed , s ome o f t he m oats a re s till w ater-filled b ecause o f t he r eception o f f ield d rainage i n t he 2 0th c entury . O bviously , i n a reas o f w ell-drained s oils , t he m oat m ust h ave b een l ined w ith p uddled c lay o r s ome o ther n on-porousr naterial t o s ustain a n a dequate l evel o f w ater ( Barry 1 977, 11). F ield e vidence A s i n s outh-eastern I reland , t he m ajority o f s ites i n t hese t wo c ounties o nly h ave a s ingle e nclosure, a nd a ll b ut e ight o f t hem h ave as ingle c ircuit o f m oat. T wo s ites w ere p olygonal i n s hape D erryorgan ( C28) a nd K nuttery ( C57) - a nd t hese m ay r ather h ave b een e arthen a rtillery f ortifications o f t he 1 7th c entury . O f t he n ine s ites w hich h ave b een s urveyed o nly o ne f alls o utside t he r ange f rom 5 00 m 2 t o 4 ,000 m2 i n a rea . T his o ne e xception , P ortauns ( L32), l ocated s ome 2 k m . t o t he s outh-west o f t he m edieval b orough o f K ilmallock , h as a n i nternal a rea o f a pproximately 1 6,100 m 2, a lmost t wice t he s ize o f t he l argest s ite l ocated i n s outh-eastern I reland ( Barry 1 977, 6 2). P ortauns m oated s ite i s l ocated i n l ow-lying m arshy g round w hich h as s ince b een r eclaimed a nd i ts m oat i s s upplied b y a s tream w hich f lows a long i ts s outh s ide . S everal o f t hese s ites w hich h ave b een i nspected i n t he f ield h ave t heir i nternal p latforms s lightly r aised a bove t he s urrounding l evel o f t he l and, e ither a s ar esult o f t he b uild-up o f o ccupation d ebris, o r m ore p robably a s ad eliberate a ttempt t o r aise t he l iving a rea w ell a bove t he l evel o f t he w ater i n t he m oat t o a ssist w ith d rainage a nd t o p revent a ny f looding o f t he h abitable a rea . T he m oats o f t hese s ites r anged f rom 2 m . t o 4m . i n w idth a nd f rom u nder 1 m . t o 3 m . i n , d epth . T he m oat a t K ilcolman ( 043) a ppeared s o i mpressive t hat S . P . 0 R iordäin w rote ' The f osse i s d eep a nd w ide - i ndeed o n o ne s ide i t o nce s erved a s ar oadway t hrough w hich a h orse a nd c ar ( sic) c ould p ass' ( 1932, 6 ). B ut , a s w ith m ost I rish e xamples , n o t races o f b uilding s w ere f ound o n a ny o f t he p latforms o f t hese s ites. T he o nly t wo m odern e xcavations o f m oated s ites i n I reland h ave b oth t aken p lace i n C ounty C ork o n s ites w hich w ere l ocated i n t he f rontier z one o f t he A nglo-Norman s ettlement . K ilmagoura ( 051), l ocated 7 k m . s outh-west o f C harleville , w as a s ingle e nclosure r ectangular s ite o f 2 ,640 m2 i n a rea, s ituated i n t he n orth-eastern c orner o f am uch l arger e arthen e nclosure , w hich h ad b een a ll b ut l evelled i n t he r ecent p ast ( Pl . 3 .1). I n G lasscock 's e xcavation i n t he m id 1 960s n o o ccupation e vidence w as f ound t o p re-date t he c onstruction o f t he m oat s o i t w ould s eem l ikely t hat t his m oated s ite w as c onstructed o n v irgin t erritory . T hree m ain p hases o f o ccupation w ere e stablished b ut b ecause o f t he l ack o f d ating e vidence t heir r elationship w ith e ach o ther c ould n ot b e s atisfactorily e stablished . T he f irst p hase w as o nly r epresented b y t races o f t he f ires o f t he m en w ho c onstructed t he m oat, w hile t he Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. 6 E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479.7 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 3 .1
K ilmar ,oura , m edieval m oated s ite , C ounty C ork
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
o nly s tructure l ocated i n t he s econd p hase w as a s tone p ath . T he t hird p hase o f o ccupation w as m arked b y ar aising o f t he c entre o f t he p latform b y t d eposition o f al ayer o f s tones a nd b oulders , p robably f or t he f oundation o f as tone b uilding . N o t race o f t his b uilding w as f ound b ut a f lagged p athway , s tone-lined d rains a nd c obbled s urfaces w ere l ocated , a s w ell a s t he f oundations o f as mall r ectangular b uilding i n t he n orth-east c orner o f t he p latform . E xcavation a cross t he i nternal e arthen b ank r evealed ad itch a long i ts i nner f ace w hich G lasscock i nterpreted a s m arking t he b ase o f aw ooden p alisade w hich w ould h ave i ncreased t he d efensive a spect o f t he s ite ( 1968 , 1 97). D espite t he l ack o f d ateable f inds G lasscock l ocated t he t imbers o f ac auseway i n s itu i n t he w estern m oat . F rom a s ample o f o ne o f t hese t imbers a r adiocarbon d ate o f 1 225 ± 7 0 a d w as c alculated w hich s howed t hat t he s ite w as c ertainly i n u se i n t he 1 3th c entury , s oon a fter t he A nglo-Normans c onquered t his r egion ( Smith e t a l 1 971, 1 02). B oth t he l ack o f i dentifiable b uildings a nd t he s mall n umber o f a rtefacts r ecovered f rom t he s ite w ould s uggest t hat i t w as o ccupied f or o nly a s hort p eriod o f t ime, p robably i n t he l ate 1 3th o r e arly 1 4th c enturies . T he s econd , m ore r ecent, e xcavation , t hat a t R igsdale ( C64) c onfirmed t he g eneral p icture r evealed b y t he f irst e xcavation ( see A ppendix 1 ). H ere t he c oin a nd p ottery e vidence a long w ith t he i ncomplete n ature o f t he b uildings o n i ts p latform s howed f airly c onclusively t hat t he s ite w as o nly e ver o ccupied b y t he m en w ho w ere b uilding i t , p robably i n t he e arly 1 4th c entury . I t i s p ossible t hat b oth s ites w ere d eserted i n t he d isorders f ollowing t he B ruce I nvasion ( 1315-18), e specially t he c ampaigns i n t he 1 320s a gainst t he A nglo-Irish s ettlers o f C ounty C ork l ed b y t he F irst E arl o f D esmond i n a lliance w ith D ermot M acCarthy ( Otway-Ruthven 1 968, 2 49). C onclusion T his i nitial c artographic a nd f ieldwork i nvestigation o f m oated s ites i n c ounties C ork a nd L imerick h as r evealed t hat t hey b roadly c onform t o t he s urface m orphology a nd l ocational a ttributes o f s ites t hat h ave b een s tudied i n g reater d etail i n o ther p arts o f t he c ountry . W hat i s m ost s triking i n t hese t wo c ounties, a nd e specially i n C ounty C ork , i s t he d ense d istribution o f s uch s ites a long t he p eriphery o f t he A nglo-Norman s ettlement. I t w as h ere t hat t he m oat a nd b anks a round t he m anor h ouses w ere a n ecessity t o p rotect t heir i nhabitants a nd t heir b elongings a gainst t he h ostile e nvironment, b oth a nimal a nd h uman , t hat l ay t o t he w est o f t hem . I t i s f urther r emarkable t hat t he t wo s ites w hich h ave b een e xcavated i n C ounty C ork h ave b oth r evealed e vidence o f l imited s ite o ccupance , p robably i n t he l ate 1 3th a nd e arly 1 4th c enturies. I t i s a lways p ossible t hat t hese t wo s ites m ay t urn o ut t o b e a typical o f t he o ther m oated s ites i n t he a rea s o i t i s o f g reat i mportance t o i nitiate a s ystematic p rogramme o f e xcavation o f m any m ore o f t hese 7 50 ' rectangular e arthworks' i n I reland t o e lucidate t heir g eneral c hronology a nd f unction . S uch a p rogramme i s m ade a ll t he m ore v ital b y t he h igh r ate o f d estruction o f t hese e arthworks i n t he p resent c entury .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
7 8
G reater a ttempts s hould a lso b e m ade t o f it m oated s ites w ithin t heir g eneral s ettlement c ontext , e specially i n r elation t o t he n ucleated s ettlements a nd m anors o f t he A nglo-Norman p eriod . B ut n owhere i s r esearch m ore l acking t han i nto t he r easons w hy m oated s ites s eemed t o g o o ut o f f ashion i n t he l ater m iddle a ges. P erhaps i f s ome d etailed s tudy o f t he f orm , d istribution a nd d evelopment o f t ower h ouses i n I reland w as u ndertaken t hen w e m ight b e s ome w ay t owards f inding t he r easons f or t he p robable d ecline o f m oated s ites f rom t he 1 4th c entury o nwards.
A ppendix 1 R igsdale, C ounty C ork b y D avid S weetman T he f ollowing i s a s hort r eport o n t he r esults o f a rchaeological e xcavations w hich w ere u ndertaken b y t he N ational P arks a nd M onuments B ranch o f t he O ffice o f P ublic W orks a t t he m oated s ite o f R igsdale d uring t he s ummers o f 1 977 a nd 1 978 . T he s ite p rior t o e xcavation c onsisted o f t he r emains o f t wo e arthen b anks r unning a t r ight a ngles t o e ach o ther a nd f orming a c orner a t t he e ast ( Fig . 3 .3). T he e ast b ank , a t i ts n orthern e nd, a ppeared t o h ave b een d estroyed b y r obbing a nd t he s outhern o ne w as c ut t hrough b y a l aneway a t t he w estern e nd . T he e xcavation r evealed t he r emains o f ar ectangular h all-like s tructure, p art o f ag atehouse a nd p ortions o f a f osse a nd b anks . T he b anks a nd f osse O nly p arts o f t he s outhern a nd e astern f osse a nd b anks n ow e xist . T he n orthern a nd w estern p ortions m ay h ave b een d estroyed b y t he m aking o f t he m odern r oad a nd l aneway . T he b anks r anged i n h eight f rom 1 .50 m . t o 2 .00 m . a nd h ad a m aximum w idth o f 5 .50 m . T he U -shaped f osse a t t he s outh-eastern e nd h ad a m aximum d epth o f 2m . a nd a w idth o f 4 .50 m . a t t he t op . T he f osse a t t he n orthern e nd o f t he e ast b ank w as o nly 1 .50 m . d eep a nd 3 .50 m . w ide a t t he t op . I t w as a lso c onsiderably s hallower a nd n arrower n ear t he g atehouse. T he g atehouse P art o f t he p linth w as t he o nly r emains o f t his s tructure f ound . I t i s b uilt i nto t he w est s ide o f t he f osse a nd o nly r ises t o o ne c ourse a bove t he r im o f t he f osse . I t i s o nly 1 0.5 m . l ong , h as a m aximum h eight o f j ust o ver 1 m ., a nd i s b uilt w ith r oughly c oursed a shlar b ound w ith b oulder c lay r ather t han m ortar . I t h as a s mall f ooting a t t he b ase a nd i t i s b attered f or t he f ull h eight o f t he e xisting s ection . T here w ere n o d efinite r emains o f t he b uilding o utside t he l ine o f t he f osse. I t i s t herefore n ot p ossible t o s ay h ow l arge t he b uilding w as, o r w hat i t w as i ntended t o b e. A c onsiderable n umber o f b uilding s tones m ixed w ith r ubble w ere f ound s tratified a long t he e ast s ide o f t he f osse, i n t he a rea b etween t he e nd o f t he e xisting b ank a nd t he n orthern e nd o f t he s tructure. T hey Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 8 0
g eneral
a ppeared t o h ave b een p ushed i n f rom t he e ast s ide o f t he f osse, t hat i s t he o pposite s ide f rom t he b uilding . T herefore i t s eems u nlikely t hat t hey w ere c ollapse. F rom t his e vidence i t w ould a ppear t hat t he b uilding w as n ever c ompleted. F rom i ts p osition i n t he f osse i t m ust b e c oncluded t hat i t w as i ntended t o b e ag atehouse . I nternal s tructures S tructure A P art o f t he e ast w all i s t he o nly w alling o f t his s tructure w hich w as f ound i n p osition . I t w as j ust t wo c ourses h igh, b uilt w ith r ough s labs a nd b locks o f s tone a nd w as l oosely b ound w ith c lay. A s ection o f c ollapsed w all w as u ncovered a t t he w est s ide o f w hat a ppears t o b e p art o f a r ubble w all a t t he n orth s ide. T he s outh s ide h ad a s hallow f oundation t rench f illed w ith r ubble. T he w all s tones a t t he n orth s ide w ere l oosely p acked a nd t here s eemed t o b e n o a ttempt a t c oursing . A lthough i t h as d efinite s ides a nd a ppears t o b e o n t he l ine o f t he o riginal w all i t w as h ardly i ntended t o b e p art o f i t, s ince i t i s a lmost t wice t he w idth o f t he e ast w all. T here w as n o e vidence o f aw all t rench a t t his s ide o f t he s tructure b ut t he g round f alls a way i mmediately n orth o f t he s uspected l ine o f t he n orth w all, a nd a ppears t o h ave b een d eliberately s carped. I t s eems l ikely t herefore t hat a w all w as b uilt o r w as i ntended t o b e b uilt i mmediately i nside t he l ine o f t his s carping . I t w ould a ppear f rom t his e vidence t hat t he n orth s ide o f t he s tructure w as n ever c ompleted. I t w as i ntended t o b e a l arge r ectangular s tone b uilding , p robably a h all. W hen c omplete i t w ould h ave m easured a bout 2 0 m . x 8m . i nternally. I nside t he s tructure n umerous s mall p ost h oles, s ome o f w hich w ere a ssociated w ith h earths, w ere f ound. T hey m ust r epresent t emporary h abitations f or t he m en i nvolved i n t he c onstruction o f t he s ite . B esides t he p ost h oles t here w ere s everal s lot t renches . T hey w ere a ll o rientated , w ith o ne e xception, o n a n e ast-west a xis. T hey m easured b etween 1 .50 m . a nd 2 .00 m . l ong , w ere a ll a bout 5 0 c m . w ide a nd w ere u p t o 2 5 c m . d eep. M ost o f t he s lot t renches w ere d evoid o f f illing a nd w ere o riginally d iscovered b y t he c ollapsing o f a h ard c rust o f e arth w hich c overed t hem . T herefore t hey m ust h ave c ontained w ood, w hich r emained i n t hem a fter t he s ite w as d eserted. T he w ood w ould t hen h ave r otted a nd a c avity w ould h ave f ormed. T hese t renches c ould b e t he r emains o f i nternal s tructures s uch a s l arge u prights t o s upport a w ooden f rame f or a s tone v aulted r oof o ver t he g round f loor . S tructure B A s mall s tone s tructure, w hich a t f irst a ppeared t o b e t he e ntrance t o a s outerrain , w as f ound i mmediately e ast o f t he e ast w all o f S tructure A . I t w as c overed w ith l arge f lagstones a nd h ad b een i nserted i nto t he b ank o ft he s ite. T he g round e nclosed b y t his s tructure s lopes s teeply f rom w est t o e ast, t hat i sd ownwards t owards t he f osse a t t he e ast s ide. F rom i ts p osition i n r elation t o t he f osse a nd t o S tructure A i t w ould s eem t hat i t w as i ntended a s a c ess a rea . T he w aste w ould h ave b een i ntended t o f low t hrough a n o utlet i n t he b ank i nto t he f osse o utside.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
8 1
I t w as n ever c ompleted.
F inds T wo p ennies o f E dward I ( c . 1 300) a nd a f ew s herds o f S aintonge p olychrome w are w ere f ound o n t he s ite . T hese f inds g ive a s ecure d ate t o t he e nd o f t he 1 3th o r b eginning o f t he 1 4th c entury . O ne o f t he p ennies w as o nly s lightly w orn a nd w as f ound u nder a s ection c ut t hrough t he e ast b ank . T he o ther o ne i s m uch m ore w orn a nd w as f ound a ssociated w ith t he p olychrome w are w hich c an b e d ated b etween 1 280 a nd 1 310 . O ther t han t hese f inds t here w ere o nly a f ew s herds o f l ate 1 3th o r e arly 1 4th c entury t ype p ottery a nd s ome i ron o bjects . S ummary T he e vidence o f t he s tructures a nd t he f inds c learly p oints t o a s hort p eriod o f o ccupation o n t he s ite. N one o f t he s tructures a ppear t o h ave b een c ompleted . S ince t he s ite i s s ituated o n t he p eriphery o f t he a rea u nder c ontrol b y t he A nglo-Normans t owards t he e nd o f t he 1 3th c entury i t i s l ikely t hat i t c ame u nder p ressure v ery q uickly f rom t he n ative I rish . F rom t he a rchaeological e vidence i t w ould s eem c lear t hat t he s ite w as a bandoned s hortly a fter c ommencement o f t he b uilding o f t he v arious s tructures a nd t hat i t w as o nly o ccupied b y t hose e ngaged o n t he b uilding o f t he s ite. A ppendix 2 L ist o f K nown M oated S ites i n C ounties C ork a nd L imerick C ounty C ork M ap N o . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
T ownland N ame A NNAGH M ORE A RDNAGEEHY B ALLYARTHUR B ALLYDONAGHBEG B ALLYDUVANE B ALLYFILIBEEN B ALLYKNOCKANE B ALLYKNOCKANE B ALLYHANE U PPER B ALLYHANK B ALLYNABORTAGH B ALLYNABORTAGH B ALLYNACLOGH E AST B REGOGE B RINNY C ARRIGROE C ASTLEGOBBIN C ASTLENALACT C LOGHLEAFIN C LOOGHEEN C LOGHPHILYS C OOLASMUTTNE C OOLINEY C OOLMAHANE
S ite N ame
' LISNACARRIGAROE ' ' LISHEENAKEELAND ' ' SITE O F C ASTLE N ALACT '
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 8 2
G rid R eference 2 5 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 5 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
W 561602 R 528187 R 798158 W 924813 W 359402 W 550902 W 577909 W 572906 R 426221 W 574667 W 701829 W 703829 W 707842 R 513097 W 523594 W 344378 W 578481 W 482609 R 754112 W 583929 W 580757 R 486234 R 513181 R 416069
M ap N o . 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 4 0 4 1 4 2 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 4 7 4 8 4 9 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 3 5 4 5 5 5 6 5 7 5 8 5 9 6 0 6 1 6 2 6 3 6 4 6 5 6 6 6 7 6 8 6 9 7 0
T ownland N ame C OOLMUCKY C OOLOWEN C REAG B EG D ERRYORGAN D OONY D ROMDALEAGUE D ROMDOWNEY U PPER F ARRANGSTIG G ARRANE G ARRANEISHAL G ARRANMACGARRETT G ARRYDUFF G ARRYDUFF G OOLDSHILL G OOLDSHILL G ORTEARAGH G ORTEENATARIFF K ILBOLANE K ILCOLMAN K ILCONNOR K ILCRANATHAN K ILGOBNETT K ILLANAMAUL K ILLAVARRIG K ILLEEN K ILLEENA K ILMAGOURA K ILMORE K ILVEALATON W EST K NOCKAGARRY K OCKNAGAPPUL K NOCKNASHANNAGH K NUTTERY L ISSAVOURA N EWTOWN P OULARICK P RUNTUS R ATHCLARE R ATHMORGAN R IGSDALE S HANDRUM S LIEVEGULLONE S UNFORT T INAGERAGH W HITECHURCH W INDSOR
S ite N ame
' GARRANEISHAL F ORT '
' LISDUNTEDA '
G rid R eference 2 2 2 2 2 5 2 1 2 1 2 4 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 5 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 5 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 5 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 2 2 5 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 5 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 5
W 784963 W 628787 W 348384 R 492044 R 418201 W 133473 R 523024 W 625811 R 817145 W 383454 R 435066 R 478052 R 485055 R 557968 R 549959 R 287036 R 779167 R 419206 W 409533 R 644098 R 504002 W 466937 W 507509 W 668791 W 342913 W 781776 R 467213 W 499603 R 521963 R 768148 W 571519 W 216973 W 631916 W 589869 R 614097 W 396638 R 567196 R 534104 R 561214 W 602609 R 494212 W 571562 R 451136 W 753850 W 655182 W 574667
1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 8
R 284523 R 389336 R 351359 R 385365 R 781446
C ounty L imerick 1 2 3 4 5
A UGHINISH E AST B ALLYBEGGANE B ALLYBROWN B ALLYEA B ALLYHURST
' KNOCKAUNACAPPEEN '
' RATHBAUN '
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
8 3
M ap N o.
6 7 8 9
T ownland N ame
S ite N ame
G rid R eference
B ALLYNAMONA B ALLYNAMONA B ALLYNAROOGA B EG B ALLYVOCKOGE C LONCREW C OWPARK C ULLANE S OUTH D ROMBANNY D ROMKEEN S OUTH D UCKSTOWN D UNTRYLEAGUE F ANNINGSTOWN F AWNLEHANE F ORT M IDDLE F RIARSTOWN N ORTH G ARRYELLEN G ARRYNDERKSOUTH H ONEYPOUND K ELLS K ILLARD K ILTONNA K NOCKLONG W EST L ISGORDAN M OMARNE M ONETEEN M OUNTBLAKENEY P ORTAUNS R ATHFREEDY R OXBOROUGH S HANBALLY
1 0 1 1 2 1 3 1 4 1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 5 2 6 2 7 2 8 2 9 3 0 3 1 3 2
3 3 3 4 3 5
1 7 R 386489 1 8 R 769291
1 7 R 409348 1 7 R 378489 2 1 1 7 2 2 1 7 ' GORTAVALLY F ORT '
1 8 1 7 1 8 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 2 1
1 7 2 1 1 7 1 7 1 8 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7 1 7
R 409226 R 398507 R 749192
R 6095 19 R 724465 R 377377 R 765287 R 591473 R 305300 R 508268 R 578489 R 587462 R 553232 R 519423 R 389223 R 289366 R 353343 R 7 12320 R 27 14 12 R 392532 R 534538 R 55226 1 R 603259 R 335337 R 594508 R 395501
B IBLIOGRAPHY
T . B . B arry 1 977 , M edieval M oated S ites o f S . A rchaeological R eports, N o . 3 5, O xford.
E . I reland , B ritish
T . B . B arry 1 978 , ' The d estruction o f m oated s ites i n s outh-eastern I reland ', M oated S ites R esearch G roup R eport N o. 5 , 1 9 -2 1.
T . F . F inch a nd P ierce R yan 1 966 , S oils o f C ounty L imerick , D ublin , S oil S urvey B ulletin N o .
1 6.
R . E . G lasscock 1 968, ' Kilmagoura , C ounty C ork ' i n 1 967', M edieval A rchaeology , X II, 1 96 -7 .
i n ' Medieval B ritain
R . E . G lasscock 1 970 , ' Moated S ites a nd D eserted B oroughs a nd V illages: T wo N eglected A spects o f A nglo-Norman S ettlement i n I reland ' i n I rish G eographical S tudies, e d. N . S tephens, B elfast, 1 62-177. A .
J . O tway -R uthven 1 968 , A H istory o f M edieval I reland, L ondon .
S .
P .
, O 'Riordäin 1 932,
' The P lace N ames a nd A ntiquities o f K inalmeaky
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 8 4 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
B arony , C ounty C ork ', J ournal o f t he C ork H istorical a nd A rchaeological S ociety , 3 7 , 1 7 , 9 8-104. J . C . R ussell 1 972 , ' Population i n E urope 5 00-1500 ' i n T he F ontana E conomic H istory o f E urope : T he M iddle A ges, e d . C . M . C ipolla , L ondon , 2 5-70 . A . G . S mith , J . R . P ilcher a nd G . W . P earson 1 97 1, D ates f rom I reland', A ntiquity , • X LV , 9 7-102 .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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' New R adiocarbon
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
R ESEARCH O N T HE M EDIEVAL F ORTIFIED H OUSE I N E ASTERN F RANCE : T HE M OATED S ITES O F T HE C HAMPAGNE
b y M . B ur
O ver t he l ast t welve y ears, F rench a rchaeologists, w orking a long t he s ame l ines a s t heir E nglish c olleagues , h ave b ecome i ncreasingly i nterested i n t he m oated s ites w hich a re s cattered o ver t he c ountryside a nd w hich t oday a re t hreatened b y c hanges i n a gricultural t echniques a nd l arge s cale d evelopment. I nvestigations h ave b een s tarted i n a n umber o f w idely s eparated a reas - i n B urgundy , F landers , A lsace, t he I le-de-France , A quitaine , a nd N ormandy - a nd i t w ould i ndeed h ave b een p ossible t o p roduce a p reliminary o verall s urvey o f t his w ork ( 1). N evertheless s ince t hese i nvestigations, c onsisting o f i ncomplete i nventories a nd a f ew e xcavations, h ave p roceeded a t v arying r ates, a nd s ince t here h as b een n o o verall p lan i n t ackling a p roblem w hich i s s till l ittle u nderstood , i t w ould h ave b een r isky t o p retend e ven t o s ketch o ut a s ynthesis w hich c ould l ay c laim t o a s cientific b asis. T he r eader m ay t herefore f ind i t o f g reater u se t o b e i nformed a bout s ome p recise o bservations m ade i n t he f ramework o f a l imited r egion f ollowing c areful a nalysis o f as eries o f e xamples. T he i nvestigation d escribed h ere c oncerns t he C hampagne a nd i n p articular t he t hree d epartments o f t he M arne, A rdennes a nd A ube. I n J une 1 977 , 6 53 v illages h ad b een p rospected ( 2). O ne h undred a nd t hirty-one s ites h ad b een n oted w hich a nswer t o t he d efinition g iven b y J . L e P atourel i n T he M oated s ites o f Y orkshire: ' The s ites c onsist o f o ne o r m ore i slands s urrounded b y d itches w hich i n a ntiquity w ere g enerally , t hough n ot i nvariably , f illed w ith w ater ' ( 3). O f t hese 1 31 s ites, a bout f ifty a re t oo b adly u nderstood o r d amaged t o b e w orth c omment . T he r emaining e ighty a re v ery v aried a nd p rovide as ufficiently b road s ample t o s uggest t hat t he p reliminary c onclusions w hile n ot i n t hemselves d efinitive a re s ufficiently s ound t o r equire l ittle m odification ( 4). T hese e ighty s ites a re d ispersed o ver t he w hole r egion ( Fig . 4 .1); t o t he n orth a nd t o t he e ast o f R eims a nd C h hons , b etween t he M arne a nd t he S eine , a nd a round T royes . T hree q uarters a re t o b e f ound o n t he g reat c halk p lain , a nd a q uarter i n i ts d amp m argins a nd i n t he h illy z one w hich b orders t he m assif o f t he A rdennes. O f t hese e ighty s ites , h alf h ave b een t he s ubject o f a rchaeological i nvestigation o n t he g round , w hile t hirty a re k nown o nly f rom p lans c adastraux o f t he 1 9th c entury . F ifty o f t he e ighty s ites a re s pecifically m entioned o r e ven b riefly d escribed i n a ncient d ocuments s uch a s a veux a nd d gnombrements . O ne s ite i n e ight i s k nown o nly b ecause o f d ocumentary e vidence. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
87
•
F ig .
4 .1
M oated s ites i n t he D epartments o f t he A rdennes, M arne a nd A ube
? 1 9 2, °e r n
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
F ig .
4 .2
V illy-le-Marechal ( Aube).
( After M . B ourgoin)
T he i nvestigation h as b een c onducted a mongst a rchives a nd o n t he g round . T hese t wo s ources c ombined y ield c onclusions w hich f or t he s ake o f c larity w ill b e p resented u nder t wo h eadings : i nitially w e w ill c onsider t he r esults o f t he a rchaeological w ork , f ollowed b y t he h istorical e vidence. I n t he f irst p lace, w hat h as t he g round s urvey r evealed? A s t o t he s iting o f t he r emains , w e c an s ay t hat s eventy s ites l ie i n l ow a nd d amp l ocations , n ear r ivers o r s treams, m arshes o r l akes. S ometimes a s pring f eeds t he d itch , b ut m ore o ften w ater f rom a s tream i s l ed i nto t he d itch . T en o ccupy a d ifferent p osition , o n as lope , o n t he s ummit o f an atural h illock , o r o n t he e dge o f ap lateau ( 5). H owever , t he d itches a re r arely d ry b ecause o f t he p resence o f c halky c lay . I n t wo i nstances s ites i n e levated p ositions w ere d escribed a s c astles i n t he 1 5th c entury . T he s hape o f t he i slands e xhibits a c ertain v ariety a lthough s eventy w ere a pproximately r ectangular , s quare o r e ven t rapezoidal ( Pl . 4 .1). O nly t wo s ites h ad a r ight a ngled p lan , t he m ain s quare o r r ectangle b eing p rovided w ith a l ateral p rojection ( 6). T en h ad a c ircular o r o val o utline . S ome e xceptional s ites a lso e xist w hich w ere f ormed b y t he j uxtaposition o f t wo s imilarly s haped i slands o r b y t he l inking t ogether o f t hree i slands w hich a re d issimilar b oth i n s hape o r s ize ( Fig . 4 .2) ( 7). T he s urvey h as s hown t hat t he s mallest q uadrangular s ites m easure a pproximately 3 0 m . x3 0 m . a nd t he l arger s ites 9 0 m . x 1 00 m . T he a verage l ength o f t he s horter s ide i s 5 0 m ., t hat o f t he l onger s ide 6 0 m . T he m edian f or t he s hort s ide i s a bout 4 5 m . a nd b etween 5 5 a nd 6 0 m . f or t he l onger . T he d iameter o f t he c ircular i slands i s a bout 5 0 m . T he l ong d iameter o f t he o val i slands a mounts o nly t o 4 5 m . a nd t he s hort d iameter 3 0 m . I n t he a bsence o f e xcavation , i t i s i mpossible t o b e p recise a bout t he s hape a nd d imensions o f t he d itch . F rom l ip t o l ip , t he w idth v aries f rom 5 t o 5 0 m . b ut t his d oes n ot h ave m uch s ignificance i n a m arshy c ountryside. I n t he m ajority o f c ases ( fifty-five), t he w idth l ies b etween 1 0 a nd 2 0 m . T he a verage o f t he g roup i s a bout 1 5 m . a nd t he m edian a bout 1 2 m . T he p latform i s u sually l evel w ith t he s urrounding l and . S ometimes i t i s e ven l ower . I n t he m ajority o f c ases i t i s n o m ore t han 1 m . a bove i t. I t i s d ifficult t o p rovide f igures b ecause o f t he a lterations t o w hich t he s ites h ave b een s ubjected . W hen t he p latform l ies a t t he b ottom o f a s lope , a t t he p oint o f c ontact w ith t he v alley o f a s tream , i t i s n ot r aised u p a t a ll o n t he s ide n earest t he s lope, b ut c an h ave a n e levation o f 2t o 3 .5 m . o n t he s ide n earest t he w ater c ourse . I t s ometimes h appens , a lthough r arely , t hat t he d itch h as a l ow b ank o n t he o utside o f i t ( 8 ). I n o ne i nstance a b ank 3 .5 m . h igh a nd 9 m . w ide a t t he b ase f orms a q uadranglar e nclosure s urrounded b y ad itch 9m . w ide ( 9). F inally i n t wo p laces a s light c ircular m ound e xists i n c lose p roximity t o t he r emains a nd t his c ould h ave b een t he m otte, c onsiderably d enuded n ow , o f a n a ncient c astle ( 10). H alf t he s ites s tand w ithin a r adius o f 4 00 m . o f av illage Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
8 9
4 4 . 44
F ig .
4 .3
\
T he e nvirons o f V ertus . 1 : L e P lessis d e V ertus; 2 : L a M otte-Monthuy ; 3 : L a M otte-Conflans a B er Oresl es-Vertus; 4 : L a M otte N oire; 5 : L a M otte R ouge o u M otte-Rgcy ; 6 : L a M otte d es P rgs; 7 : L es M onthois; 8 : L e P lessis d e C hevigny; 9 : L a M aison d e V illeneuvel es-Rouffy ; 1 0: • L a M aison d e P ocancy ; 1: L a M aison p uis l e C hateau d e C onflans a V illeseneux F ord X
*
M ill C astle o f t he c ount o f C hampagne
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
9 0
m easured f rom t he p arish c hurch; t en l ie b etween 4 00 a nd 7 00 m . a way f rom i t , a f urther t en b etween 7 00 a nd 1 500, a nd t en m ore b etween 1 500 a nd 2 400 m . T he r emainder a re s cattered u p t o ad istance o f 4 .3 k m . a way . N ormally a v illage c ontains o nly o ne s ite, b ut t he s urvey h as s ometimes r evealed t wo , t hree o r e ven f ive w ithin a r adius o f 3 000 m . T his t ype o f g rouping a pplies t o a pproximately a q uarter o f o ur l ist ( 11). A s t heir n ames s uggest - C our T ani k )e , G rand C our , C our S aint-Phal - t he m ultiplication o f m oated s ites w ithin t he s ame t erritory c an b e i nterpreted a s a n i ndication o f i ntense c olonisation c aused b y a n i ncrease i n p opulation ( 12). O ther n ames r eflect a p articular f eature o f t he p hysical l andscape - M aupertuis , l es P lanches , R enaudmont - o r a gain t he n ame L e P lessis r efers t o t he o bstacle r aised a gainst a n a ttacker b y t he i nterlaced b ranches o f ah edge a round t he e nclosure . An umber o f s ites w ould h ave h ad a n o bvious m ilitary f unction . F or e xample , n ine s ites a ppeared t o g uard t he a pproaches t o V ertus , a l ittle f ortified t own i n t he C hampagne v ineyards. E ight o f t hem a re s trung o ut a long a m arshy w ater c ourse a nd i ts t ributary f or a d istance o f 5k m . S everal m ills a re . d istributed b etween t hem a nd t he l ast s ite d ownstream g uards a f ord . An inth s ite e stablished o n t he p lateau a bove t he t own c ontrols a c ross-roads . T his d efensive c oncentration c an a pparently b e e xplained b y t he n eeds o f t he H undred Y ears W ar ( Fig . 4 .3) ( 13). S econdly , w hat d o t he d ocuments h ave t o t ell u s? T o b egin w ith t he n ames g enerally u sed i n t he 1 3th a nd 1 4th c enturies t o d escribed mated s ites : d omus o r h ouse ( maison ), d omus f ortis o r d efended h ouse ( forte m aison). T lith t he r ecrudescence o f m ilitary o perations i n t he 1 5th c entury , t he u se o f t he a djective f ortis a lmost b ecomes t he r ule - i n s ix c ases o ut o f e ight - a nd i ts f requency u nderlines t he d efensive e lement. A lso , f rom t he 1 4th c entury t he t erm m otta t ends t o b e s ubstituted f or t he t erm d omus t o d escribe t he p latform o n w hich t he h ouse i s b uilt . P reviously t he t erm m otta w as e xclusively u sed t o d escribe t he a rtificial m ound o n w hich t he k eep o f a c astle s tood . A s eigneurial c onnotation i s o bvious . I ts e xtensive u se a t t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges s eems t o c orrespond w ith a t ime w hen t he n obility w ere f ree t o p ursue c ivil a nd f oreign w arfare a fter a p eriod d uring w hich c omital a nd r oyal p ower h ad b een a ble t o k eep t hem i n as tate o f s ubordination . T he n ames g iven t o s ites r ecord t his e volution . A round V ertus, s etting a side t wo ' plessis' a nd o ne ' maison ' t here a re s ix s ites o f w hich t wo a t l east b ore t he n ame o f a f amily ( Conflans a nd R gcy), t wo a re n amed a fter a c olour ( black a nd r ed) a nd o ne f rom a n a spect o f t he s urrounding c ountryside, t he ' Prgs '. W ith r are e xceptions ( two o ut o f e ighty) w hich b elong t o t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th c entury , t he g reat m ajority o f e maisons ' d ate a t t he e arliest f rom t he e arlier y ears o f t he 1 3th c entury ( 14). F ifty a re a ssigned t o t he 1 3th c entury , t wenty t o t he 1 4th c entury , a nd a nd t en t o a l ater p eriod . T he m ajority w ere i nhabited u p t o t he R evolution a nd c ontinued t o b e p urchased b y f armers u p t o t he p resent d ay . S ome o f t hem , d estroyed i n t he p ast , h ave b een r ebuilt t oday b y t hose d esirous o f as econd h ome .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
9 1
I n t he 1 3th , 1 4th a nd 1 5th c enturies , t he o ccupant o f a ' maison ' u sually b ore t he t itle o f d ominus, d omina , m iles , a rmiger . M any a mong t hese l ords a nd k nights b elonged t o c adet o r c ollateral b ranches o f g reat f amilies , s uch a s t he B royes, V illehardouin , C harny , J oinville , T hourotte . T heir o rigins e ntitled t hem t o p ossess a s eigneurial m ill ( 10) o r i n o ne u nique i nstance, a g ibbet ( 15). M any h owever d id n ot b elong t o a ny e asily i dentifiable f amily , s uch a s t he L ady o f D osches o f w hom i t i s r eported i n t he R oman d e R enard l e C ontrefait t hat s he h ad a s erf e xhumed i n o rder t o t ake h is s hroud f rom h im ( 16). M embers o f t he b ourgeoisie d id n ot p enetrate t his r ural a nd w arlike w orld , w ith o ne o r t wo e xceptions s uch a s G uillaume P utemonoie w ho w as b ailiff o f T royes a bout 1 230. I n s um t he ' maison '
i s r arely _ a s impl e a gricultural e stabli shmen t _ b elonging t o a l ay ( 10) o r e cclesiastical ( 10) a uthority ( 17). E ven i f , a s i s i nevitable i n ap redominantly a grarian e conomy , i t a cted a s t he c entre o f a n e state , i ts m ain f unction w as t o s erve a s t he r esidence o f a l ord o n w hom t he m oat c onferred p restige a nd s ecurity . I n t he 1 7th c entury , M oliere p oked f un a t t he p retensions t o n obility o f p eople w ho b uilt h ouses s urrounded b y m oats: J e s ais u n p aysan q u 'on a ppelait G ros-Pierre Q ui, n 'ayant p our t out b ien q u 'un s eul q uartier d e t erre, Y f it t out a l 'entour f aire u n f oss 6b ourbeux e t d e M onsieur d e l 'Isle e n p rit l e n om p ompeux ( L 'Ecole d es F emmes ,
1 , 2 ,
1 79-183)
F inally t he e xpression ' € "tre d e l a m aison d e ' pour d ire ' f aire p artie d e t elle f ami ne ' d erives d irectly f rom t he c onstruction o f t he d omus f rom t he b eginning o f t he 1 3th c entury . I n t he a bsence o f e xcavations , i s i t p ossible , c ombining s urface o bservation a nd t he i nformation p rovided b y d ocuments, t o g ive s ome i dea o f t he a ppearance o f t he d omus? T he l egislation o f t he c ounts o f C hampagne b egan t o g ive a ttention t o t his t ype o f c onstruction t owards 160 . B etween 1 220 a nd 1 250 t he l egal r egulations m ultiplied b ecause o f t he t endency o f t he l ords t o b e c onstantly f ortifying t heir r esidences . T he c ount l ost n o o pportunity t o e mphasise t hat w hile a ' maison ' c ould b e h eld i n f ief f rom a lmost a nybody a f ortified e stablishment h ad t o b e h eld d irectly o f h im . W hat d oes t his d ifference b etween d omus a nd f ortericia m ean? A d omus s ometimes s pecifically d escribedas a d omus p lana , i s a n e nclosure w ith a m oat , u sually w ater f illed . T he d itch h ad t o b e ' one t hrow d eep ', i n o ther w ords i ts d epth c ould n ot e xceed t he c apacity o f o ne m an t o t hrow t he e arth o ut w ithout t he a id o f s omeone e lse, i ts w idth l ay b etween e ight a nd f ifteen m etres. T he i nner s carp w as c rowned b y ah edge o r aw ooden p alisade. T he g ate c ould b e o f s tone o r o f t imber , i n f act t he d itch o f a ' plessis ' n ot f ar f rom V ertus h as r ecently p roduced t he r emains o f a p alisade m ade o ut o f t he p ointed t runks o f t rees . T he f ortification o f a ' maison ' e ntailed i ts e nclosure w ith a s imple w all w ith n o b astions . A lthough n o d efinition i s e xplicitly Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. 2 E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479.9 Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 4 .1
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. F iMichigan, g . 4 .Ann 5 Arbor C lesles ( Marne). Downloaded on behalf of University of
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g iven a nywhere, a fter t his o peration t he h ouse b ecame a d omus f irma o r d omus f ortis ( 18). W hen a f ortified h ouse h ad b een p rovided w ith t owers, c renellations a nd a d rawbridge a nd w hen i ts s ubsidiary b uildings h ad t hemselves b een s urrounded b y ad itch a nd a w all , i t b ecomes a c astle . I n t he 1 4th a nd 1 5th c enturies , f irst t hree h ouses, t hen f our h ouses u nderwent t his e volution ( 19). T hree o f t hem w ere s ituated i n r elatively h igh p ositions a nd f our i n l ow-lying d amp l ocations. T he s tages c an b e e asily f ollowed a t C hätillon i n t he m arshes o f S aint-Gond , a t V erdey n ear S ezanne a nd a t C onflans, i n t he p arish o f V illeseneux . V erdey w as a p ossession o f t he m onastery o f M ontierla-Celle ( this i s t he e xception m entioned a bove) ( 20). C h hillon a nd C onflans b elonged t o g reat f amilies w hose s ocial p osition h ad b een c onsolidated a nd l ocal p ower r einforced b y t he w ar ( Pls. 4 .2-3 a nd F ig . 4 . ) 4). T he s patial o rganisation o f t he ' maison ' o r ' maison f orte ' s eems t o h ave b een a s f ollows : w hen t he ' motte ' o r p latform w as s ufficiently e xtensive, t here w ould b e g rouped a round t he d welling h ouse o r t hütel s eigneurial ' , ab arn , ad ove-cote , ac attle s hed o r as table, a nd s ometimes a c hapel ( P1 4 .4 ). T his w ould c onform t o T ype A 1 i n t he n omenclature u sed f or Y orkshire o r C ambridgeshire ( 21). W hen t he p latform w as t oo c onstricted , t he s ervice b uildings, b arn , d ove-cote a nd s table w ere p laced o utside b eyond t he d itch . T he s tructure o f t he e stablishment b ecame b ipartite , a s i n T ype A 2 , w ith a h ouse o n o ne s ide a nd a s ubsidiary c ourtyard o n t he o ther , w hich i tself c ould b e s urrounded w ith s mall d itches ( 22). V illy-le-Margchal , h ome o f t he V illehardouin f amily , p rovides a u nique e xample o f t hree l inked a nd d itched p latforms o f T ype A 5 . I n a ll i nstances t he a ppurtenances o f t he h ouse i nclude w aterworks ( fish p onds a nd l akes), a g arden a nd a n o rchard . T he m aterial u sed i n c onstruction v aried a ccording t o t he p lace b ut r emained s table t hrough t ime. I n t he C hampagne C rayeuse a nd i ts d amp m argins, t he t raditional m ethod o f c onstruction u p t o a bout 1 860 w as i n t imber a nd c ob . A n e arly 1 7th c entury e ngraving o f t he c astle o f C onflans s hows w ithin t he r ampart a s eigneurial d welling o f s tone a nd s ervice b uildings l ittle d ifferent i n t heir a ppearance f rom s imple p easant h ouses. A t C lesles , ah alf-timbered t wo-storey d welling w ith c himneys a nd c overed b y t iles s tood i n t he 1 8th c entury o n a ' motte ' s urrounded b y ad itch a nd p rovided w ith a d rawbridge ( Pl . 4 .5 a nd F ig . 4 .5). A nother ' castle ' i n t he e nvirons o f T royes w as d escribed i n 1 762 a s b eing c overed w ith t iles w ith ' a d ove-cote, ab arn r oofed w ith t hatch , w ith s tables , ap ig s ty a lso c overed w ith t hatch , w ith a b akehouse r oofed w ith t iles s eparated f rom t he c astle' ( 23). I n t his a rea r ecent w ork o n m oated s ites h as b rought u p t o t he s urface w orked s tone w hich c ould h ave c ome f rom a s olidly b uilt b uilding o r f rom t he s ill w alls o f ab uilding o f t imber c onstruction . I n t he a bsence o f e xcavations i t i s d ifficult t o s ay v ery m uch m ore. N o d oubt, i n ag ranite r egion s uch a s t he A rdennes, t he a ppearance o f t he h ouse, t o j udge f rom s everal m ore r ecent e xamples ( 15th t o 1 7th c enturies), w ould h ave b een c onsiderably d ifferent ( Pl . 4 .6). O ne c onclusion s tands o ut a t t he e nd o f t his r apid s urvey . I t i s n ecessary t o c arry t hese s tudies f urther a nd t o t ake i n o ther r egions . D uring t he c urrent y ear , ar esearch t eam a ssociated w ith C .N .R .S . h as b een w orking o n as tudy o f t he f ortified h ouse i n e astern Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
9 7
F rance a nd i s c overing t he C hampagne, L orraine a nd t he F ranche-Comtg. P reliminary r esults c ertainly t end t o u nderline r egional d ifferences, s uch d ifferences a re t he r esult o f h istory a s w ell a s g eography . L orraine , l ike t he A rdennes, e xperienced a f eudal s ystem w hich w as s till a live i n t he 1 7th c entury w hereas t he C hampagne h ad a lready s ubmitted t o m onarchical c entralisation . W hen o ne h as m ade a llowances f or g eography , i .e . l ocal m aterials, a nd f or v ariations i n t he r ate o f c ultural p rogress, i t i s t he c ommon f actors w hich r eassert t hemselves. A s a n e xpression o f s ociety , t he h ouse i s t he i mage o f t hose w ho l ive i n i t . A l ord f rom Y orkshire, v isiting a l ord i n t he C hampagne i n t he 1 3th c entury w ould h ave f elt h imself q uite a t h ome .
N OTES 1
A mongst o thers , J . M . P esez a nd F . P iponnier , ' Les m aisons f ortes b ourguignonnes ', C hâteau-Gaillard , V , H indsgval 1 970, C aen , 1 972, p p . 1 43-164 a nd ' Villy-le M o Uier , R echeches a rchgologiques s ur u n s ite d e m aison f orte ', C hateau-Gaillard , V I, V enlo 1 972 , C aen 1 973 , p p . 1 47-65. C . L orren , 'Le c hâteau d e R ubercy ( Calvados), 6 tude d e l a d emeure p rincipale ( c . 150-1204)', A rchgologie m gdievale , V II , V II, 1 977 , p p . 1 09-178 a nd p . 2 50 . S ee a lso t he l ist o f e xcavations s ince 1 971 i n t he s ame v olume .
2
S everal e xamples o f m oated s ites w ill b e f ound i n M . B ur , I nventaire d es s ites a rcheologiques n on m onumentaux d e C hampagne , f asc . I , V estiges d 'habitat s eigneurial f ortifi6 d e b as p ays a rgonnais, R eims, A rers, 1 972 ( Ante ( Boncourt), B elval-en-Argonne, C harmont ( Renaudmont), D ommartin-Dampierre ( les P lanche D aucourt , E pense , S aint-Mard-sur-le-Mont , V ernancourt , V oilemont ( Maupertuis) i n t he M arne a nd C hallerange , V errieres i n t he A rdennes).
3
J . L e P atourel , T he m oated s ites o f Y orkshire, L ondon , 1 973 , p . 1 . S ee a lso t he s ame a uthor , ' Moated s ites o f Y orkshire, a s urvey a nd i ts i mplications ', C h heau-Gaillard, V , p p . 1 21-32, a nd m ore r ecently : ' Les s ites f ossoyes e t l eurs p rob Ames ', R evue d u N ord , L VII, 1 976, p p . 5 71-91.
4
I n a ddition t o t he p laces c ited i n n ote 2 , r emains h ave b een f ound i n t he f ollowing p arishes: A ssenay , B rgviandes, B uch res , C halette, C hassericourt, C havanges , C lerey , C ourcelles, C respy-le-neuf , D ommartin-le-Coq , J uzanvigny , L a C hapelle-Saint-Luc , L irey ,Mathaux , M ontceaux-les-Vaudes , N ogent-sur-Aube , R ances , R hbges, R oncenay , S aint-Leger-sous -Margerie , S aint-Mesmin , S aint-Pouange , S avieres, S oulaines ,Thenneli res , V illy-le-Margchal i n t he A ube, B er Oresl es-Vertus , B rugny , C hevigny , C lesles, C ourjonnet , E sclavollesL urey , G aye , G erminon , M oeurs , P ocancy , S aint-Mard-les-Rouffy , V ertus, V illeneuve-les-Rouffy , V illeseneux i n t he M arne, A ubignyl es-Potees , A uvillers-les-Forges , H auteville, J uzancourt , M ainbresson , M urtin-Bogny , N eufmaison , N ovy-Chevrieres, R enwez, S aint-Ferjeux , S aint-Marcel , S echeval , S orbon , S yndney-Poilcourt, T hugny-Trugny i n t he A rdennes . A ll t hese s ites w ill b e p ublished i n t he I nventaire d es s ites a rchaeologiques n on m onumentaux d e C hampagne .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
9 8
5
A nte ( Boncourt), A ubigny-les-Potees , A uvillers-les-Forges, B rugny ( L a G range-le-Comte), C harmont ( Redaudmont), C hassericourt ( Le C hatelier ), C lerey , D aucourt , M ontceaux-les-Vaudes, S aint-Märds ur-le-Mont , V ertus ( Le P lessis).
6 D roupt-Saint-Basle , R ances . 7 A ssenay ,
V illy-le-Marechal .
8 B elval-en-Argonne, t he s mallest o f t he s ites s tudied h ere. 9 B rugny ( La G range-le-Comte). 1 0
C respy-le-Neuf , S aint-Leger-sous-Margerie .
1
C havanges 5 , C hevigny 2 , D ommartin-le-Coq 2 , D osches 2 , J uzancourt 2 , J uzanv i[ j 2y2, M ainbresson 2 , S avieres 3 , V erdey 2 , V ertus 5 .
1 2
C havanges ( La C our d e T aniere), R häges ( La G rande-Cour), S avieres ( La C our S aint-Phal).
1 3
B erg res-les-Vertus ( La M otte-Conflans), C hevigny ( Les M onthois, L e P lessis ) , V ertus ( Le P lessis, L a M otte n oire , L a M otte r ouge o r m otte R eCy , l a M otte d es P res, l a M otte-Monthuy), V illeneuvel es-Rouffy ( Le G rand P re). T hese s ites w ere s tudied b y D . B odoville i n am aster 's t hesis, R eims, 1 971.
1 4
A . L ongnon , D ocuments r elatifs a u c omte d e C hampagne e t d e B rie, t . 1L es F iefs, 1 901, p . 6 3, n o . 1 777 : ' Guido d e W aia d omum f ortem s uam d e W aia e t h omines b annitos q ui s ubeo v olunt m anere' ( about 172). F or l e P lessis d e V ertus, t he s ame r egister h as i n n o . 1 841: ' Henricus d e P lasseto , l igius '.
1 5
O n 1 8 F ebruary 1 496 ( old s tyle), C harles V III a uthorised t he l ady o f V illy-le-Marechal t o r esto re t he g allows a nd d rawbridge . A . R oserot , D ict io rnaire h istorique d e l a C hampagne m eridionale, 1 948 , p . 1 848 . A t t his d ate V illy h ad j ust p assed b y m arriage i nto t he h ands o f am erchant f amily o f T royes, t he M ole.
1 6
T his r omance , t he l ast m anifestation o f t he t ale o f R eynard t he F ox , w as w ritten b y ag rocer o f T royes o f t he f irst h alf o f t he 1 4th c entury . S ee C . L anglois , L a V ie e n F rance a u M oyen A ge, t . 2 , p . 3 06.
1 7
T he G range-le-Comte a t B rugny b elonged t o t he C ount o f S aint P ol . V er(2y ( now M oeurs-Verdey) w as a d ependency o f t he a bbey o f M ontierla-Celle c lose t o T royes .
1 8
160 : t he c ount o f C hampagne d emands o f R obert o f D reux t hat t he m oat a t S avigny s hould n ot b e t wo t hrows d eep b ut o ne o nly a nd t hat b ehind t his t here s hould o nly b e a s imple p alisade ( H . d 'Arbois d e J ubainville , H istoire d es C omtes d e C hampagne, c atalogue , 7 7).
176 : t he c ount d ecides t hat i n t he v illage o f M assengy , ' dictus H ugo d omum f irmam e dificare n on p oten t , n isi t antummodo p lanam e t a bsque m uro , c um f osseo u nius j acture' ( H . d 'Arbois, c at . 2 58 Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. a nd1981, t . https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 3 , p . 4 65 , n o . 1 46). E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
9 9
1 217 : t he c ountess a llows J ean d e R oucy t o e xcavate a d itch 3 0 f t. w ide a round h is h ouse a t M arcilly , o n c ondition t hat o nly a s imple h edge i s p laced b ehind i t . ( H . d 'Arbois, c at . 1 081). 1 221: t he c ountess a llows E rard d e -B rienne t o b uild a f ortress s urrounded w ith m oats a nd s imple w alls w ithout b astions ( H . d 'Arbois, c at . 1 345). 1 223 : t he c ount a llows H enri d e M irvaux t o b uild a f ortress a t G ivry w ith a w all 1 51 f t . h igh , t wo f eet t hick , b ut w ith n either m oat n or t urrets. W ith t his c ondition , t his f ortress w as t o r emain a s ub-fief o f C hampagne c ontrary t o t he c ustom w hich h eld t hat f ortresses s hould b e h eld i mmediately o f t he c oun t ( H . d 'Arbois, c at . 1 594). 1 231: E ustache d e C onflans h aving s tarted t o b uild a h ouse a t M areuil a nd c ompleted a q uarter o f t he w all , t he c ount a llowed h im t o c omplete t he w all o n c ondition t hat n o n ew f ortification w as m ade a t t he h ouse w ithout h is a uthorisation ( H . d 'Arbois , c at . 21 3 5).
1 242 : t he c ount p ermitted E ustache d e C onflans, w ho h eld h is d omus f rom h im : ' ipsam p erfirmare d e p lenis m uris s ine t urribus e t d e f ossatis h abentibus s pacium X XV p edum i n l argioet n ihil a r l 6L iusquod a d f ortericiam d ictae d omus p ertineat n isi d e a ssensu i psius' ( H . d 'Arbois, c at ., 2 605 a nd L . C hantereau L e F evre, T raite d es F iefs, p . 2 72Y . 1 242 : t he c ount a llows E udes d e B royes t o b uild i n t he m arshes a t ap lace c alled m ota d e C astillon a h ouse s urrounded b y a m oat 5 0 f t . w ide b acked b y ap alisade w ith a g ateway o f s tone o r o f w ood . E udes r ecognises t hat h e s hould n ot b uild m ore w ithout p ermission f rom t he c ount a nd t hat h is h ouse c ould b e s urrendered ( H . d 'Arbois, c at ., 2 597) T hese d ocuments c an b e c ompared w ith a c harter o f t he c ount o f P onthieu ( Cl. B runel , R ecueil d es A ctesdes C omtes d e P onthieu , P aris, 1 930, p . 3 54 q uoted b y J . L e P atourel , T he m oated s ites .. p . 2 0, n o . 5 0). T he r equirement f or t he d itch t o b e ' one t hrow d eep ' h ad a lready b een f ormulated i n t he C onsuetudines e t J usticieof N ormandy a t t he e nd o f t he 1th c entury . 1 9
I n t he 1 4th c entury , C hallerange , C ourjonnet ( Chätillon), V illeseneux ( Conflans); i n t he 1 5th c entury , M oeurs ( Verdey ), E pense , C lerey a nd C hassericourt ( Le C hgtelier).
2 0
1 366 : J eanne d e N avarre r ecalled t hat t he a bbot o f M ontierlaC elle h ad c aused ' fortifier e t e mparer s a m aison e t l ieu d e V erde q ui p ar d evant e stoit c lose d 'eau e t d e f ossez ' , t hen l acking t he m eans t o d efend i t , ' avoit f ait o ster e t a batre l 'emparement e t l e f ort'. S he p ermitted r econstruction . 1 367: T he k ing c alled V erdey a ' maison f ort , c lause d e m urs , d e f ossez , d 'yaue, l equel f ort l esditz r eligieux o u t emps d es g uerres d 'arribre p assea sfirent e mparer , g arder e t m aintenir '.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 00
1 367: i nspectors v isited V erdey : ' Nous n ous s ommes t ransportez a u d it l ieu e t v isite l edit f ort , l equel n ous s amble b on f ort e t b ien t enable, l es c hases c i-apräs c ontenues f aites e t a ccomplies, c 'est a ssavoir q ue l edit f ort s oit p arfaiz e t a ssouiz p ar l a m aniere e t s elon q u 'il e st c ommencie e t b astiz; i tem q ue l es f oussez s oient t ouz r epairez e t s oit f ait u ng f oussez p ar d edans l a b asse-court a u d evant d udit f ort , b on e t g rans; i tem s oit f aiz l e p ont-levis d e d evant l a p orte b on e t g rans; i tem q ue u ne b raye d e m ur s oit f aite s ur l es f oussez n ouveaux ; i tem q u 'il s oit b ien c oronnez e t f ermement '. 1 424 : a fter d estruction t he m onks e stimated ' que l 'on n e s aurait r efaire l e c hastel d e V erdey-lez S äzanne p our m illivres t ornois i. ( Ch . L alore , C ollection d es p rincipaux c artulaires d u d iocese d e T royes, t . V I, M ontierla-Celle, 1 882, I ntroduction , p . X L -L V . 2 1
J . L e P atourel , T he M oated s ites o f Y orkshire, p . 4 .
2 2
1 274-75: ' La m aison d e T aignieres e t l es f ossez e t t out l e p orpris d edans l es f ossez e t d ehors ' ( A . L ongnon , D ocuments, t . 1 . L es F iefs, n o . 7 254). 1 390 : ' Item l a m otte d udit S ouilleaux c ircuye d e f ossez e n l aquelle e st l 'hostel s eigneurial e t c olombier , e stable, c ourt e t b asse-court , l es v ergers t enant d 'une p art q ue d 'autre, a ussi e nvironnes d e p etits f ossez, l e t out e n u n p ourprins c ontenant h uit a rpents a u e nviron ' ( A . M orin , S aint-Pouange , m onographie c ommunale, T royes, 1 935, f rom t he a rchives o f t he c astle o f S ouleaux).
2 3
C hateau d e R heges:
A . R oserot , D ictionnaire , p .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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1 248 .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
T HE C ASTLE O F R UBERCY ( CALVADOS) ( c . 150-1204)
b y C . L orren
T he s eigneurial d wellings w hich a re v ariously c alled ' fortified h ouses ' o r ' moated s ites ' w ere a c ommon f eature o f t he m edieval r ural c ountryside f rom t he b eginning o f t he 1 3th c entury . T his i s t he p eriod w hich h as u ntil r ecently b een c onsidered b y w orkers i nterested i n s uch p roblems a s t he b eginning o f t he s pread o f t hese e stablishments . A t t he s ame t ime w e m ust r ecognise t hat t he w ritten s ources w hich m ention c astles b efore t he e nd o f t he 1 2th c entury a re r are a nd c annot b e u sed t o d ate t he o rigins o f f ortified e stablishments a ttested o nly i n l ater p eriods . F or a l ong t ime t hese p articular d wellings h ave a ttracted l ess a ttention t han t he m ottes o f t he 1th a nd 1 2th c enturies a nd i t i s o nly r ecently t hat a ttention h as b een g iven t o t he n ecessity o f d evoting s ystematic s tudy t o t hem . T his w ork , b ringing i nto p lay t he f ull r ange o f a rchival m aterial a nd m aking u se o f a rchaeological e xcavations a s o ften a s p ossible, s hould a llow u s b etter t o u nderstand t heir s tructure , d ating , a nd r eal m ilitary , p olitical a nd s ocial f unction . E ight y ears a go n o o ne h ad s hown a ny i nterest i n N ormandy i n t his t ype o f s eigneurial d welling a nd i t m ust b e p articularly s tressed t hat t he s tudy o f R ubercy b egan a gainst a b ackground o f a g eneral l ack o f i nterest a nd i gnorance a nd w as u ndertaken b y c hance b ecause o f t he n ecessity f or r escue e xcavation . T his s ite h ad b een k nown f or a l ong t ime b ut h ad b een t hought t o b e am otte ; i ts s mall s ize a nd p oor s tate o f p reservation w ould n ot h ave i nduced a nyone t o u ndertake a s ystematic p rogramme o f e xcavation . ' This i s o ne o f t he l east i nteresting a nd s mallest s ites t hat I h ave v isited ' w rote A .D e C aumont i n t he l ast c entury ( 1). R ubercy i s av illage o f n o g reat i mportance s ituated i n t he B essin , a bout 1 5 k m . t o t he w est o f B ayeux , o n t he r oad w hich r uns f rom B ayeux t o T revi res . A part f rom t he s mall a nd r emote h amlet o f L a P oterie w hich l ies i n t he m odern c ommune , t he v illage h as t wo m ain f oci ; ag roup o f h ouses r ound t he c hurch , t he ' Village d u h aut ' o r ' Village d e Udglise', r epresenting t he m ore a ncient f ocus , a nd t he l arger , m ore r ecent p art o f t he v illage, t he ' Village d u b as ', w hich l ies a bout 5 00 m . t o t he w est a nd i n t he v alley ( Fig . 5 .1). T he s ite o f t he c astle l ies l ower d own , a bout 2 00 m . s outh o f t he c hurch , i n t he w ide f loodable v alley o f t he T ortonne, a s mall r iver s ome 3 o r 4m . w ide , a t i ts j unction w ith a s maller w atercourse , t he s tream o f L a P oterie , w hich c omes i n f rom t he s outh-west ( Pl . 5 .1). T he f ield i n w hich t he s ite l ies s till b ears t he n ame o f t he ' Pre d u c hâteau ' a nd s everal s ignificant m inor p lace n ames a re t o b e f ound a round i t : l a C outure , l e P re d u c olombier , l a F erme d u m oulin , e tc. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 U4
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T he s ite a ffords v iews o nly o f t he v alley a nd o f t he h ill s lopes w hich b order i t . I n c hoosing t his l ocation , a way f rom t he v illage, t he p rotection a fforded b y t he w ater w as u ndoubtedly w hat w as b eing s ought . B efore e xcavation , t he s ite w as d efined b y a l ow m ound a bout 1 .8 m . h igh , r oughly r ectangular ( some 3 0 x 2 0 m .), a round w hich c ould b e s een t races o f e xcavations f or t he r emoval o f b uilding m aterials ( Pl . 5 .2). T he l ast a ttack t o w hich i t h ad b een s ubjected w as t he d igging o f ah ole i n t he m iddle t o a ccommodate a h ide f or d uck s hooting ( Fig . 5 .2 : N o . 1 2-13), t his w ork p rompted t he r escue e xcavation , b ut a lso i rreparably d estroyed t he c entral p ortion o f t he s ite a nd m ade i t i mpossible t o r esolve c ertain p roblems . T he m ound l ay a bout 1 5 m . f rom t he P oterie s tream a nd s ome 3 0 m . f rom t he T ortonne. I ts l ongest s ide f aced t he a ccess r oad w hich r an d own f rom t he ' Village d e l 'eglise ' w hich c an s till b e t raced a s ah ollow w ay . A d itch , s till t raceable a s a n a mple b ut g ently s loping d epression a d ozen m etres w ide a nd 5 0 c m . d eep c ompletely s urrounded i t a nd s eparated i t f rom a l ower c ourtyard e nclosed b y t he c onfluence o f t he s treams . T his l atter f eature w as n ot r aised a nd o nly s light i rregularities, o utcrops o f s tone a nd p atches o f d ifferent v egetation g ave a ny i ndication o f t he r emains i t e nclosed ( Pl . 5 .1: t he m arkings s howing d enser v egetation i ndicate t he m ain z ones o f o ccupation ). T he p rincipal d welling R ight a t t he o utset t he s light e levation o f t he m ound, i ts s hape ( rectangular , w ith s harply d efined c orners) a nd i ts s ituation c ast d oubt o n t he i dea t hat i t w as a m otte . E xcavations c onducted o ver a p eriod o f f our y ears e nable u s t o s ay t hat i n f act t he m ound w as l argely t he r esult o f t he i nward c ollapse o f a l arge r ectangular b uilding 2 5 m . l ong b y 1 8 .5 m . w ide w hich h ad b een u sed a s a q uarry f or s tones a fter i ts a bandonment a nd w hich t old u s n othing a bout t he c ondition o f t he r emains o ver t he g reater p art o f t he s ite . I n f act o nly r are f ragments o f t he e xterior w all w ere p reserved f or t wo o r t hree c ourses ( Fig . 5 .2 : J K 1, O Q 1 0-11, Q 1 2, Q R 1 5-16), a nd f or t he g reater p art o f i ts l ength i t c ould o nly b e t raced t hrough i ts f oundation t rench w hich h ad b een l eft e mpty b y t he s tone r obbers , a nd t hen f illed b y d emolition d ebris . T he b est p reserved w all o n t ne s ite, a t l east f or i ts n orthern t wo-thirds , w as t he w all w hich r an a cross i t f rom n orth t o s outh ( Fig . 5 .2 : M N 1-14), a nd t his c an b e e asily e nough e xplained : w hereas t he p erimeter w alls w ere v isible f rom t he e xterior o f t he s ite a lmost t o t he b ase , t he l ower p art o f t he c entral w all h ad b een b uried t o a d epth o f 8 0 c m ., a lthough i ts f oundations w ere s hallower t han t hose o f t he e xterior w alls . T he e xcavation o f t he d itch p rovided t he i nitial m aterial f or t he e rection o f al ow b ank w hich o utlined t he s hape o f t he s ite a nd o n w hich t he o utside w all w as b uilt . S ubsequently , a nd k eeping p ace w ith t he c onstruction o f t he w all , t he i nterior o f t he q uadrilateral w as c overed w ith v arious f ills i n o rder t o r aise i t s ome 0 .8 m . a bove t he w ater l evel . T he i nner s carp o f t he d itch b egan i mmediately a t t he f oot o f t he e xterior w all, i t w as i mpossible t o r ecover t he p rofile o f t his c ompletely b ecause o f t he h eight o f t he w ater t able ( Pl. 5 .3). Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 05
A t l east i n t heir l ower p ortions, t he w alls w ere b uilt o f l arge p ieces o f l ocal l imestone, r oughly q uarried a nd b onded w ith c lay . T he a verage t hickness o f t he e astern a nd w estern w alls w as 1 .7 m ., o f t he n orthern a nd s outhern w alls 1 .5 m . a nd t he c entral w all 1 .3 m . T hey w ere a ll r oughly b uilt a nd n ever p erfectly r ectilinear . A mongst d emolition r ubble w hich f illed t he r obber t renches w as f ound a n i mportant d eposit c onsisting o f f ragments o f m ortar , p ieces o f s quared s tones o f o olitic l imestone f oreign t o t he r egion b earing t races o f c arving a nd f ragments o f p laster . T hese s uggested t hat t he f ragments o f w alling s till e xtant g ave a f alse i mpression o f t heir c onstruction : i n t heir u pper p arts , t hey m ust h ave b een o f a shlar , w ith w all o penings f ramed w ith c arefully c ut s tone a nd w ith t he i nternal f ace o f t he w alls p lastered a t l east i n s ome r ooms. I n t he i nterior , l ying d irectly o n t he m ake u p , o ccupation l evels w ere f ound a nd t he h istory o f t he s ite c ould b e d educed f rom t he s tratigraphy . A fter t he c onstruction w ork a nd t he l aying d own o f t he m ake u p , i nitial o ccupation w as o bserved - i ndicated b y a b lack l ayer r ich i n f inds - t hen a s econd m ake u p f ollowed b y as econd p eriod o f o ccupation i ndicated o nly b y a s light a nd s uperficial s taining , d irectly a bove w hich w as a l ayer r epresenting t he c ollapse o f t he b uilding a nd t he r obbing o f i ts m aterials a nd f inally a t hin l ayer o f h umus. T here w ere t herefore t wo p hases i n t he o ccupation o f t he s ite , e ach w ith i ts o wn h istory c orresponding t o m odifications i n t he s tructure . D uring t he i nitial o ccupation ( on t he a ssumption t hat w e c an r ecognise i t - t he d ifference i n a ppearance b etween t he l ower p ortions o f t he w alls, s et i n c lay , a nd t he u pper p ortions o f s quared m asonry , w hich d oubtless b elonged t o t he s econd p eriod, m ight h ave i ndicated i t, b ut t he v ery p oor s tate o f p reservation o f t he r emains d id n ot a llow o f a bsolute c ertainty ) t he p rincipal d welling h ad a r ectangular p lan a nd t he i nterior a rrangements w ould l argely h ave b een o f w ood . P ost-holes c ould b e s een ( Fig . 5 .2 : L 13-14 a nd P 1 3-14) a s w ell a s t he r emains o f ap artition o riented e ast-west w hich l eft o nly a s hallow d epression i n t he s oil i n M 1 2 . T hese w ere t he o nly c ertain t races o f t he o riginal i nterior a rrangements a nd o ne c an e asily u nderstand h ow s uch e xtremely t enuous a nd f ragile r emains d isappeared , b ecause t he f abric o f t he b uilding u nderwent a lterations, a nd t hese w ere f ollowed b y t he a narchic a ssaults o f t he s tone r obbers. A n umber o f q uite l arge s tones w ere i ncluded i n t he s econd c lay m ake u p . T hese c ould h ave c ome f rom t he d emolition o f i nsubstantial c lay-bound w all b ases s upporting a h alf-timbered b uilding . D uring t he f irst p eriod o f o ccupation , a b uilding w hich m ust h ave b een c onstructed i n s uch a w ay s tood i n t he o uter c ourtyard ( see b elow p . 1 2C. D uring t his p hase, t he o ccupation l evel r ested u pon b eaten e arth d irectly a bove t he m ake u p . T his l evel w as c haracterised b y a b lackish c layey l ayer 2 - 8 c m . t hick w ith a n i rregular a nd h umpy s urface. I t c ontained a l arge q uantity o f b ig p ot-sherds w hose s ize c an d oubtless b e e xplained b y t he c onsiderable p lasticity o f t he s oil . H earths w ere l ocated d irectly o n t he s oil i n v arious p laces ( Fig . 5 .2: M 1, K 1 4, N 1, 0 1), i n o ne c ase o nly t he h earth c onsisted o f a n a ssemblage o f s tones l aid f lat i n t he f orm o f a s quare. I f w e t ake i nto a ccount i ts e laborate a ppearance a nd t he f act t hat a djacent t o Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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T ranchdes d e r ecupera t ion d es p i erres d es mur s
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
i t w as a v ery l arge r ubbish p it , w e c an s urmise t hat t his w as t he p rincipal h earth d uring t his p eriod , a nd n o d oubt l ay i n t he c entre o f a b uilding c onstructed i n t he m ain o f t imber , o f w hich t he o nly r emains w ere t races o f t he p osts h olding u p t he r oof , t oo i nfrequent t o a llow a r estoration o f t he p lan o f t he b uilding t o w hich t hey b elonged . T he e nd o f t his p hase w as m arked b y r epairs a nd r econstruction . A bove t he o ccupation l ayer w orking s urfaces w ere f ound , w ith a bandoned s tones , s ome o f w hich s ealed t he p ost-holes, a nd c lear t races o f b uilding w ork i n t he n orth-west a ngle o f t he b uilding . F ollowing t his c onstruction p eriod , t he i nterior o f t he b uilding w as r aised b y 1 5 t o 2 0 c m . w ith c layey e arth a nd t he i nterior a rrangements w ere m odified . S tone r eplaced w ood i n t he m ajority o f i nstances . T he s econd o ccupation l evel w as a gain o n a b eaten e arth f loor . T he e vidence f or i t c onsisted o f a b lack l ayer m uch t hinner t han t he f irst , o r s ometimes s imply b y as uperficial d arkening o f t he m ake u p , a nd t he h earthswere o nce m ore l ocated d irectly o n t he s oil . T he p lan o f t his p hase i s s hown i n F ig . 5 .2 . A part f rom u ncertainties c aused b y t he i ntrusion d irectly i n t he m iddle o f t he s ite, i t c an b e r eadily d escribed . T he b uilding w as s urrounded b y a r ectangular w all o f a c onsiderable t hickness . O n t he w est t his s erved a lso a s e xterior w all o f t he p rincipal b uildings, b ut o n t he e ast i t w as c learly f ree s tanding t hough a cting a s as upport f or t he l ittle b uildings o r l ean-tot s et a gainst i t . T he p rincipal b uildings l ay o n t he w estern s ide . A s f ar a s f unction i s c oncerned, i t i s n ot p ossible t o s uggest a n i nterpretation f or t he b uilding o riented e astw est f ound i n t he s outh-west a ngle o f t he e nclosure; i t m ay h ave b een a t ower o r a s eries o f r ooms. O n t he o ther h and t wo e lements a re c lear i n t he s tructures w hich o ccupied m ost o f t he w estern s ide: i n t he c entre w as a l arge r oom w ith i ts h earth a djacent c lose t o a nd p artly w ithin i ts n orthern w all ; i n t he n orth-west c orner , t he k itchen c ould b e r ecognised b y i ts h earths a nd t he g reat q uantity o f r ubbish w hich i t c ontained . A bove t he l ast l evel o f o ccupation i n t his a rea w as a l ayer o f y ellow c lay m ixed w ith d ebris a nd a g reat d eal o f o ccupation m aterial . V arious f actors s uggested t hat t his l ayer w as t he r esult o f t he c ollapse o f a n e arthen f loor w hich h ad b een s upported b y w ooden p lanks, s uch a s c an s till b e f ound i n m any c astles a nd h ouses i n t he a rea . T he p rincipal b uildings t herefore c ertainly h ad a n u pper s torey . T hey o pened o nto a n i nterior c ourt a round w hich w ere a rranged , a ttached t o t he s urrounding w all, m inor s ubsidiary b uildings , d omestic o ffices, o r r ooms o f a lighter a nd s impler c onstruction , o f w hich o nly t he f oundations r emained . T heir w alls w ere t oo n arrow t o h ave c arried m uch h eight ; d oubtless t hey w ere s tone s ills c arrying h alf t imbering o r c ob . T here w ere n o t races o f s olid r oofing m aterial a nd i t m ust t herefore b e s upposed t hat a ll t he b uildings w ere c overed w ith t hatch o r s hingles w hich h ave e ntirely r otted a way . T he e ntrance t o t he h ouse w as a bout f ive m etres f rom t he s outhe ast c orner , o pening t owards t he e ast, f acing t he ' Village d e l ' 4glise' a nd o bviously a ligned a long t he a xis o f t he h ollow w ay w hich r uns d own f rom i t . I t d oes n ot s eem t o h ave b een a ltered a t l east i n i ts m ain f eatures t hroughout t he o ccupation o f the s ite . I n t his a rea Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 09
o nly o ne o ccupation l evel w as f ound , r epresented b y a s tretch o f m etalling a t t he e ntrance . H ere t he e xternal w all w as s trengthened b y t hickening a nd b y d eeper f oundations, a nd t wo n arrow m asonry b ases b eyond i t a nd e ither s ide o f t he e ntrance n o d oubt r epresented t he s upports f or a d rawbridge w hich c ould b e d rawn u p d irectly a gainst t he w all . O n b oth s ides o f t he i nterior o f t he e ntrance w ere t races o f p ost-holes , s ymmetrically a rranged a nd v ery d eeply e xcavated , w hich m ust h ave f ormed p art o f t he a rrangements f or w orking t he b ridge ( Pl. 5 .4). T he o uter c ourtyard T he o uter c ourtyard o ccupied t he a rea b etween t he d itch s urrounding t he h ouse a nd t he r iver a nd t he s tream . I t w as l ong a nd n arrow , o riented n orth-south , a bout 2 5 m . w ide b y 6 0 m . l ong , n arrowing c onsiderably i n t he c entre . T wo s tretches o f d itch l inked t he h ouse-moat w ith e ach o f t he s treams t hus c cmpletel yisolating t he o uter c ourtyard . A n e nclosure w all e ncircled i t a t l east d uring t he s econd p eriod o f o ccupation . T his w all , a s i n t he c ase o f t he p rincipal h ouse , w as u sed t o s upport b uildings r anged a round i t. O n t he n orth a nd s outh t he w all s tarted a t t he e dge o f t he i nner m oat, f ollowed t he s ubsidiary d itches a nd t hen t he e dge o f t he s treams . I t w as b uilt o f r ough p ieces o f l imestone b onded w ith m ortar t o t he n orth a nd w ith c lay t o t he s outh . I t h ad b een m uch r obbed a nd i ts a ctual l ine , l ike t hat o f t he w all o f t he p rincipal h ouse, w as o ften d iscontinuous . T he t wo e ntrances l ay t o n orth a nd e ast. O n t he n orth , a ttached t o a s hort s ection o f t he p erimeter , w as a s tructure o f m asonry b onded w ith c lay , w hich f ormed i n p lan a l etter H ( Fig . 5 .2 : U V 5 -6). I t s eems t hat t his s tructure w as i ntended t o r eceive a w ooden b ridge , p ossibly a d rawbridge , c rossing t he d itch a nd g iving a ccess t o t he f ields w ithout h aving t o g o t hrough t he v illage ( Pl . 5 .5). O n t he e ast a ccess a ppeared t o b e n ot b y m eans o f a b ridge b ut b y a p aved f ord ( Fig . 5 .2: B B-DD 1 3-14). T he t rack , m arked b y av ery c lear r utting , e ntered t he o uter c ourt t hrough a d epression a nd t hen v eered s outh-west . L ater d estruction , v ery c onsiderable i n t he a rea o f t he g ateway , p revented a ny d etermination o f t he s ystem f or c losing t he e ntrance. I t c an h owever b e s aid t hat t he t rack m ust h ave a ntedated t he c onstruction o f t he c astle, b ecause i t w as s harply c ut b y t he m oat . I t w as n evertheless k ept i n b eing t o s erve t he o uter c ourtyard, a nd i n p articular i ts s outhern p ortion d irectly o pposite t he e ntrance t o t he p rincipal d welling ; h ere i t b ifurcated a nd a r amp c ontained b etween t wo c urbs o f r ough s tonework r ose s harply i n o rder t o p rovide a ccess t o t he r esidential q uarters ( Pl . 5 .6). B ecause o f s ubsequent d estruction , i t h as n ot b een p ossible t o d etermine w hat t he a rrangements w ere f or r eceiving t he o ther e nd o f t he d rawbridge . T he r amp p rojected c onsiderably i nto t he m oat a nd t he w ater l evel p revented f urther o bservation . W e c ould n evertheless s ee t hat t he m oat w hich s urrounded t he r esidential q uarters l apped t he n orthern s ide o f t he r amp r ight f rom t he b eginning , w hile t his w as n ot t he c ase o n t he s outhern s ide , a t l east f or t he g reater p art o f i ts l ength ; t he m oat w as m uch w ider o n t he n orth t han o n t he s outh , f orming a k ind o f p ond b etween t he h ouse a nd t he o uter c ourtyard . T he a ccess w ay a lso d ivided t he o uter c ourtyard i nto t wo z ones, Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P late 5 .1
A erial v iew o f t he v alley o f t he T ortonne , t aken f rom t he e ast , s howing t he p rincipal d welling i n c ourse o f e xcavation a nd i ts i mmediate e nvironment
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .2
V iew o f t he s ite , t aken f rom t he e ast , s howing t he l ow e levation o f t he m ound r emaining a fter t he d emolition o f t he p rincipal d welling
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .3
T he s tump o f t he n orth w all ( in O Q 1 0-11) a nd t he t op o f t he s carp o f t he m oat
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .4
T he e ntrance s een f rom t he e ast
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .5
T he a butment o f t he b ridge g iving a ccess t o t he o uter c ourtyard o n t he n orth
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .6
T he c obbled p ath a nd t he a ccess r amp t o t he p rincipal d welling
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .7
T he e nceinte w all o n t he n orth e ast ( in C C 8 -9), s howing t he s uperimposition o f t he t wo p eriods o f c onstruction , a nd t he l ittle g ateway , s ubsequently w alled u p , w hich a fforded a ccess t o t he r iver
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 5 .8
As ection o f t he s outhern w all o f t he f irst p eriod, p reserved a gainst t he g able w all o f t he g reat r ectangular b uilding ( in B B 1)
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
t he s outhern p ortion n ow m uch d isturbed a nd n ot v ery i ntelligible , t he n orthern p ortion b etter p reserved . T he s outhern p art c ontained a t l east o ne s ubstantial b uilding a gainst t he o uter w all d ivided b y a p artition w all a bout 0 .8 m . t hick , a t r ightangles t o t he e nclosure ( Fig . 5 .2 : X -BB 1 7-20). O nly s light t races o f t his i nterior w all s urvived a nd i t h as n ot b een p ossible t o f ind e ither o f i ts e nds . W e c an o nly s ay t hat t his b uilding m ust h ave c ontained s ome i tems o f c arved d ecoration a nd w as p aved w ith l arge p ieces o f l imestone w hich w ere w orn a nd p olished . T his p aving h ad a m arked s lope t owards t he l ongitudinal a xis o f t he b uilding . T aking t his a long w ith t he r elative r arity o f p ottery a nd t he d iscovery o f o bjects r elating t o h orses a nd h arness ( horseshoes, n ails ‚ rings , b ells , e tc .) t he f requency o f w hich i n t his a rea i s r emarkable i n c omparison w ith o ther p arts o f t he e xcavation , t he i nterpretation o f t his b uilding a s a s table c an b e s uggested,the s lope o f t he g round a llowing t he r un o ff o f u rine a nd m anure a nd i ts e asy c ollection . M ost o f t he n orthern p ortion o f t he o uter c ourtyard w as t aken u p b y a l arge r ectangular b uilding s ituated i n i ts c orner ( Fig . 5 .2 : X -BB 6 -19). O n t he s outh , t his b uilding f aced a c obbled c ourtyard w hich r an a lmost a s f ar a s t he a ccess w ay ( Fig . 5 .2 : Z -BB 1-12). B etween t he b uilding a nd t he h ouse m oat w as a n a rea o f b eaten e arth 3- 4 m . w ide ( Fig . 5 .2 : X Y 8 -11). A t t he s outh w est c orner a n arrow w all , d ifficult t o t race, l ay a t r ight a ngles t o t he o utside o f t he w estern w all o f t his b uilding , a nd c ould h ave f ormed p art o f a s ystem w hich e nabled o ne o r o ther p ortions o f t he o uter c ourtyard t o b e c losed o ff , f or e xample i n t ime o f d anger ( Fig . 5 .2: X Y 1 0). T he b uilding i n t he n orth-east c orner o f t he e nclosure w as r ectangular w ith e xternal d imensions o f s ome 1 7.8 x 9 .2 m . I t m ade u se o f t he e xternal e nclosure w all f or i ts n orthern a nd e astern s ides ; t his w all h ad o riginally b een p ierced b y a l ittle d oorway , t o e nable w ater t o b e d rawn u p f rom a nd r ubbish t o b e t hrown i nto t he r iver ( Pl. 5 .7). I t w as s ubsequently w alled u p . T he w ell-preserved s outhern w all , o f m ortared m asonry , w as s lightly w ider t han t he e xterior w all ( 1.15 m .) a nd t he w estern w all n arrower ( about 0 .85 m .). I t i s t hought t hat t he g able w all w as p articularly w ell d ecorated b ecause a l arge n umber o f d ecorative f ragments, c arved i n a s oft l imestone n ot n ative t o t he r egion ( capitals w ith g adroons , v oussoirs f rom v aulting w ith z igzag o r k ey d ecoration , e tc .) w ere r ecovered f rom t his e nd o f t he b uilding ( Fig . 5 .2: Y -BB 1 0-11). N o s olid r oofing m aterial w as r ecovered . A gainst a nd b eyond t he w estern w all , r ather n orth o f c entre , w as a s tructure o f m asonry b onded w ith c lay 4 .8 m . w ide e xternally w ith w alls f rom 0 .75 t o 0 .80 m . t hick ; b ecause o f d estruction i t w as n ot p ossible t o o bserve t he w estern s ide o f i t ( Fig . 5 .2: X Y 7 -8). I t i s p robable t hat t his f eature c ontained t he s tair w hich g ave a ccess t o t he f irst f loor o f t his l arge b uilding , a b uilding w hich c an b e r easonably i nterpreted a s ah all w ith a p rincipal, s ocially s uperior u pper s torey a bove a u tilitarian g round f loor . I nside t he b uilding , c lose t o t he w estern w all w as a r oughly c ircular o ven m uch d amaged b y d estruction b ut p robably a b read o ven ( Fig . 5 .2: Z AA 7 -8). T he s iting h ad n ot b een c hosen a t r andom f or Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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b eyond t he w all a t t his p oint w as t he f ore-building c ontaining t he s tair w hich r einforced t he w all , a nd d oubtless a llowed e asy a ttachment o f t he c himney , c onveniently p laced w here n o w indows w ere p ossible. F rom t he o ven w e r ecovered a s ubstantial q uantity o f R oman t ile f ragments r e-used i n t he c onstruction o f t he i nterior c asing . T he u se o f t he o ven r esulted i n av ery r ich d eposit o f w ood c harcoal g enerally v ery t hick b ut t hinning o ut t owards t he s outh a nd c ontaining a l arge q uantity o f o ccupation d ebris. T his l arge r ectangular b uilding h ad s ucceeded a nother , a lso m ore o r l ess r ectangular w ith r ounded c orners, a nd s lightly b roader b ut s horter . T his l atter b uilding h ad p robably b een d ivided l ongitudinally b y t wo r ows o f w ooden p osts s et c lose t o t he w alls a nd i ntended t o s upport t he r oof . O nly f our p ost-holes w ere r ecovered a nd t heir s iting a llows a c onjectural r estoration o f t he t wo a lignments, t he p laces w here d efinitive e vidence f or t hem w as m issing h aving b een m uch s ubject t o r econstruction . D uring t his p eriod , t he o uter c ourtyard h ad n o s urrounding w all . T he b uilding l ay a t a t angent t o t he i ' dver ( Fig . 5 .2 : C C 8 -9); i n C C 1 0 , t he o ccupation l evel a ssociated w ith i t e xtended w ithout i nterruption t o t he e dge o f t he s tream a nd t races o f i t r emained u nder t he e nclosure w all o f t he s econd p eriod . T he p urpose o f t his b uilding i s v ery c lear , a t l east i n i ts i nitial p hrase . P lentiful i ndications o f t rampling b y a nimals o n t he g round w ere f ound, i ndicating t hat i ts i nitial p urpose h ad b een t o s helter c attle. N evertheless v arious p ieces o f e vidence i ndicate t hat i ts u se w as m odified d uring t he c ourse o f i ts e xistence. I n p articular i t i s v ery p robable t hat t he b uilding a lready c ontained a n o ven w hen i t w as p ulled d own b efore r eplacement. T he w alls o f t he b uilding w ere t oo n arrow ( 0 .6 m .) t o a llow u s t o s uppose t hat t hey s tood v ery h igh ; s ills a re m ore p robable t o s upport h alf t imbering o r w alls o f b eaten e arth o r c ob . T here w as n o i ndisputable e vidence f or t he l ocation o f t he e ntrance t o t his b uilding b ut i f a ccount i s t aken o f s uch e vidence a s t he d ensity o f f inds a nd t he d egree o f s taining o f t he s oil , i t s eems t hat a ccess w as f rom t he n orth-west n ot f ar f rom t he e nd . T he l arge r ectangular b uilding o f t he s econd p hase w as t o a c ertain e xtent s uperimposed o n t he i nitial s tructure. T he w alls o f t he l atter w ere t aken d own t o , o r s lightly a bove , t he n ew g round l evel w hich h ad b een r aised , p articularly o n t he o utside, b y c layey m aterial d erived f rom t he e xcavation o f t he f oundations . T he f irst w all w as t hus p reserved o n t he e xterior o f t he n ew b uilding , p erhaps t o a ct a s a n e xtra s upport , o r s imply b ecause i t w as n ot f ound n ecessary t o d estroy i t c ompletely ; i t c ould b e s een o n t he e ast ( Pl . 5 .7 : C C 8 -9), s outh ( Pl . 5 .8 : B B 1) a nd w est ( Y 8 -10), a nd a t race o f i t c ould b e s een i n t he s outh-west c orner ( Z 1 0). T hose r esponsible f or t he s econd b uilding o nly r emoved t he f irst e ntirely w here t he s etting o ut o f t he n ew f oundations m ade i t n ecessary . T he o nly p ortion w hich w as d estroyed c ompletely w as t he n orthern e nd w hich w ould h ave i nterfered w ith t he g round f loor o f t he i nterior o f t he n ew b uilding . H ere t he m aterials w ere d ispersed b efore t he g round l evel w as r aised b y e xcavated m aterial f rom t he f oundations a nd f rom t he n eighbouring d itch . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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T here i s t herefore g ood e vidence i n t he n orthern p art o f t he o uter c ourtyard f or t wo s uccessive l evels o f m edieval c onstruction , s ucceeding i n t urn a R oman b uilding o f w hich f aint t races w ere f ound : r ubbish , o ccupation d ebris, a f ragment o f a n a psidal w all ( Fig . 5 .2: Y 1 0-11), f ragments o f p ottery i n v arying d ensities , e tc. T hese t wo m edieval l evels c an b e c ompared w ith t he t wo p eriods o f o ccupation o f t he m ore s trictly r esidential p art o f t he s ite. I n b oth a reas, i .e . t he p rincipal r esidence a nd t he o uter c ourtyard, t he b uildings o f t he f irst p hase w ere o f p oor q uality a nd a ppearance, f or t he m ost p art t imber b uilt . T he b uildings w hich r eplaced t hem i n t he s econd p eriod w ere m uch m ore s olid , e ntirely o f m ortared s tone, o ften h aving a n u pper s torey a nd w ith a n a bundance o f d ecoration . T his t hen w as a c onsiderable e stablishment, s et s lightly a part f rom t he v illage a nd s eparated f rom i t b y t he r iver , t he p rincipal p ortion e nclosed b y am oat w hich i f i t c annot b e d escribed a s d efensive i n c haracter w as a t l east s ymbolic . A ll t hese f actors t ogether w ith s urviving f ield n ames c ontaining t he ' chateau ' e lement, s uggest t hat w e a re d ealing w ith a n a ristocratic d welling a nd t his i mpression i s c onfirmed b y t he d omestic o bjects w hich w ere f ound . B oth p eriods o f o ccupation p roduced m aterial w hich a ffords e vidence o f a l ife w hich w hile r emaining s imple i n i ts e ssentials , w as n evertheless a ristocratic : h orseshoes , s purs , h arness f ittings o f g ilded b ronze , d ecorated b uckles , k eys, a rrows a nd c ross-bow b olts , c andlesticks, t himbles a nd s ewing n eedles , c hildren 's r attles, a s cabbard c hape, d ice, g aming p ieces, e tc . T hese a ll p rovide e vidence o f a c ertain l uxury a nd o f ac ertain s ocial s tanding . T he l ast t wo t ypes o f o bject a re e qually r evealing f or t hey a ttest t he p ossibility o f l eisure,
s omething o nly t o b e f ound i n a n a ristocratic m ilieu .
T here i s n o q uestion o f p roviding h ere a c omplete a ccount o f t he d ating m ethods u sed a t t he c astle o f R ubercy . T he d ating o ffered i n t he p ublication o f t he f irst p art o f t he r eport o n t his s eigneurial e stablishment i n A rchgologie m gdievale ( 2) h as n ot b een c hallenged b ut o n t he c ontrary h as b een c onfirmed b y d iscoveries m ade s ubsequently i n t he l ower c ourtyard . I t i s s ufficient h ere t o s ketch t he g eneral l ines o f a rgument b y w ay o f ac onclusion t o t his s hort a ccount. S etting a side t he f ragments o f R omanesque a rchitecture b rought t o l ight i n t he o uter c ourtyard w hich w ithout a ny g reat p recision s uggest a d ate d uring t he 1 2th c entury , t hree m ain m ethods h ave b een u sed t o e stablish a d ate f or t he s ite: s tudy o f t he p ottery , s tudy o f t he c oins a nd t hermo-remanent m agnetism . A c omparison o f t he r esults o f t hese s tudies w ith w ork o n d ocuments a nd t he h istorical c ontext o f t he s ite , h ave e nabled u s t o s uggest a d ate i n t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th c entury a nd t he e arly y ears o f t he 1 3th c entury , t he t wo p eriods o f o ccupation h aving s ucceeded e ach o ther d uring t his s hort s tretch o f t ime . T he p ottery i s c ommon t o b oth p eriods a nd v ery h omogenous. T his u niformity i s g ood e vidence f or a s hort p eriod o f o ccupation . N evertheless t here w as a g reater p roportion o f h igh q uality p ottery a nd i n p articular g lazed w are i n t he s econd p eriod b ut t he t ypes r emain v ery s imilar a nd c omparable t o o ther e xamples i n t he r egion d ated t o t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th a nd t he b eginning o f t he 1 3th Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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c entury . T he c oins d ivide t hemselves i nto t wo g roups a ccording t o t he s tratigraphy . H owever b oth l evels c ontained d eniers o f L e M ans w ith t he H erbert m onogram o f i mmobilized t ype w hich r emained c urrent t hroughout t he 1 2th a nd 1 3th c enturies , a nd o ther i mmobilized t ypes; b ut t he f irst l evel p roduced N orman d eniers w hich a re g enerally a greed b ecame r are , i f i ndeed t hey h ad n ot d isappeared a ltogether , a fter t he m iddle o f t he 1 2th c entury , a nd a d enier o f S teven o f B lois o f t he A wbridge t ype s truck b etween 150 a nd 154; t he s econd l evel p roduced d eniers o f S t M artin o f T ours, f rom a m int s uppressed b y P hilippe-Augustus i n 1 205. T herefore t he c oins a lso i ndicate a d ate i n t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th c entury . A ll h earths o n t he s ite w ere s ampled w ith a v iew t o t aking m easurements o f t hermo-remanent m agnetism . O nly o ne o f t hem l ess a ltered o r d isturbed t han t he o thers a llowed a ccurate m easurement. T his w as a h earth o f t he f irst p eriod s ituated i n N 1, w hich y ielded ad ate f or t he e nd o f i ts u se ' towards 170 ' ( 3). T he d ocuments w hich r efer t o R ubercy d uring o ur p eriod o r w hich b ear o n t he s ubject u nder d iscusssion a re r are . N evertheless t hey s upport a nd r einforce t he a pproximate d ating o f t he e xcavated e vidence. I n 168 , a t t he t ime o f h is f oundation o f t he B enedictine A bbey o f L ongues ( Fig . 5 .1), H ugh W ac g ranted i t t he t ithes o f h is m ill a t R ubercy a nd t he p ortion o f m eadow f acing i t ( 4), a long w ith o ther g ifts i n t he B essin a nd t he C otentin . H is s on B audouin, a t a n u nknown d ate b ut n evertheless b efore 185-1189, c onfirmed t hese g ifts a nd a ugmented t hem w ith v arious o thers a mongst w hich w as t he c hurch o f R ubercy ( 5). I n t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th c entury , t he a bility t o f ound a n a bbey i mplied a c ertain s ocial i mportance a nd t his a dmits o f t he p ossibility t hat B audouin , p atron o f t he c hurch , o f w hich h e w as t he s ole g rantor , w as a lso l ord o f t he m anor a nd t he o wner o f t he c astle. T he o rigins o f t he W ac f amily a re q uite o bscure. H ugh W ac s eems t o a ppear f or t he f irst t ime a round 140 , f rom w hich d ate h e i s f requently m et w ith a s aw itness t o a cta o f S tephen o r H enry I I ( 6). H e a ppears a s ak night i n t he e ntourage o f R anulf d e G ernon , C ount o f C hester , i n w hose w ake h e m ade h is f ortune a nd a chieved h is s ocial r ise. I n f act h is l ord w as t he a rchitect o f h is m arriage w ith E mma, d aughter o f B audouin F itz G ilbert d e C lare , w hich b rought t o h im t he l ordships c omposing t he h onour o f B ourne , i n s outh L incolnshire, w hich H ugh w as a ble t o b uild u p i nto a r elatively h omogenous f eudal e state ( 7). T he p ossessions o f t he W ac f amily i n N ormandy , s cattered i n t he C otentin a nd t he B essin , a re l ess w ell k nown . H owever , i f w e c onsider t hose o f t he C ounts o f C hester , h ereditary v iscounts o f t he A vranchin , t he V al d e V ire a nd t he B essin , i t i s i nteresting t o n ote, f rom t he p oint o f v iew o f o ur s ite, t hat a p ortion o f T revi res b elonged t o t hem , a p arish w hich l ies a bout 3 k m . t o t he n orth-west o f R ubercy a nd a round w hich w ere s ituated t he p ossessions o f a c ertain n umber o f t heir v assals . W e a re r ecovering h ere o n t he t errain e vidence o f c lientage t aking m aterial f orm . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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A n e xamination o f t he P ipe R olls a llows u s t o d ate t he d eath o f H ugh ; h e c ontinues t o b e m entioned u p t o 175-76 a nd i n t he s ame y ear h is s on B audouin a ppears f or t he f irst t ime ( 8 ). T he l atter m arried r ather l ate - A gnes t he d aughter o f t he c onstable W illiam o f H o r net, a nd d ied a s f ar a s c an b e j udged f rom t he R olls o f t he E xchequer , i n 197 o r 198 , l eaving a s on B audouin , am inor ( 9). T his s econd B audouin , g randson o f H ugh , s eems n ot t o h ave r eached h is m ajority u ntil 1 201 a nd 1 204, a nd i n 1 204 t ook t he s ide o f K ing J ohn b ecause o f t he m ore c onsiderable l ands w hich h e o wned i n E ngland . A fter t he d eparture o f B audouin , i t s eems t hat t he K ing o f F rance r etained t he e states w hich b elonged t o h im i n h is o wn h ands f or a c onsiderable t ime. T he m emory o f t he ' forfeiture ' o f B audouin W ac w as p reserved u ntil t he 1 6th c entury a t l east, b ecause a t t his t ime i n o rder t o d efine a f ief , h is h olding o f i t a t t he b eginning o f t he 1 3th c entury w as s till b eing r eferred t o ( 10). T he a greement b etween t he a rchaeological e vidence a nd t he d ocuments s eems v ery c lear . I t w as H ugh w ho b uilt t he f irst w ooden c astle . N o d oubt h e d id t his b ecause o f t he t roubles o f t he A narchy o r m ore l ikely i mmediately a fter t he e nd o f t hem , b ecause w e a re n ot d ealing h ere w ith a f ortress b ut r ather w ith a l arge a nd c omfortable h ouse, w ith d efinite a ristocratic c haracteristics. T his b uilding w as e rected o n l and , w hich , w ithin t he l imits o f h is o wn p ossessions, h ad p robably b een g ranted t o h im b y h is L ord , R anulf o f C hester . T hese f actors a nd t he m aterial r ecovered - a nd i n p articular t he N orman d eniers a nd t hat o f S teven o f B lois - a llow u s t o p lace t he i nitial c onstruction t owards 150 o r r ight a t t he b eginning o f t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th c entury . A fter t his N ormandy w ould h ave a ppeared t o b e t he m ost s table e lement i n t he P lantagenet s tate a nd w as r elatively p eaceful . I n t his c ontext , t he t ransformation o f t he c astle o f R ubercy i nto a m ore c omfortable h ouse i s n ot s urprising . I t i s i nteresting t o n ote t hat t he d ating p rovided b y t he m easurement o f t hermo-remanent m agnetism , ' towards 170 ', c orresponds v ery w ell w ith t he e nd o f t he l ife o f H ugh o r r ather w ith t he e ntry o f B audouin i nto t he p ossession o f h is h eritage. T he s on , w ell p laced t hanks t o t he e fforts o f h is f ather , w as t o c onsolidate t he s ocial r ise o f h is f amily b y m eans o f ag ood m arriage , a nd s eems f or t he m ost p art t o h ave b een c ontent t o e njoy p ossessions a ccumulated b y h is f ather . I t i s n o d oubt t o h im t hat w e c an a ttribute t he r econstruction i n s tone o f t he c astle o f R ubercy ( 11). T he a bandonment o f t he s ite c annot b e e xplained t hrough a rchaeologically r ecoverable e vidence . R ather i t i s t o b e e xplained t hrough t he f orfeiture o f B audouin , t he g randson o f H ugh , w ho, h aving s carcely a ttained h is m ajority , c hose t he s ide o f K ing J ohn . I mmediately a fter t aking p ossession o f N ormandy , t he K ing o f F rance g ranted c ertain p ossessions o f t he W ac f amily t o t hose w ho h ad b een f aithful t o h im , b ut h e a lso s eems t o h ave k ept o thers i n h is o wn h ands, a s d id h is s uccessors a fter h im u ntil a v ery l ate p eriod. T he e states s ituated a t R ubercy w ere f or e xample e xploited a s f ee f arm . T he c astle , u seless a nd v acant , w as a bandoned a nd d estroyed ; i t s erved a s as tone q uarry u ntil t he 1 7th c entury a t l east. T hus t he c ombination o f v arious t ypes o f e vidence a t R ubercy a llows u s t o d ate t he b eginning o f t his s eigneurial e stablishment t o t he m iddle o f t he 1 2th c entury , i ts t ransformation f rom a w ooden Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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c astle t o o ne o f s tone t owards 170-1175 a nd i ts f inal a bandonment t o 1 204 . T he d etermining f actors w hich p resided o ver t he c onstruction o f a s ite o f t his t ype w ere t he r eturn o f p ublic s ecurity a nd p olitical s tability , f actors w hich m ade u seless o r i mpossible t he e rection o f m ilitarily s trong c astles , b ut w hich r ather f avoured t he c onstruction o f c omfortable d wellings. G iven t he m odest e xterior a ppearance o f t hese d wellings , c ertain w riters h ave p referred t o s ee t hem a s t he r esidences o f m inor v illage l ords. W ritten s ources s how t hat t his w as i ndeed m ost f requently t he c ase a t l east f rom t he b eginning o f t he 1 3th c entury ; t he e xample o f t he c astle o f R ubercy , w hich b elonged t o o ne o f t he h igh A nglo-Norman b aronial f amilies, s hows h owever t his w as n ot a lways s o .
N OTES
1 857 ,
1
A . d e C aumont , S tatistique m onumentale d u C alvados, C aen , t . I II, p p . 6 98-9.
2
C . L orren , ' Le C hateau d e R ubercy ( Calvados), e tude d e l a d emeure p rincipale ( o . 150-1204)', A rcheologie m 6dievale, t V II-1977, p p . 1 09-178 .
3
T he s amples a nd m easurements w ere t aken b y P rofessor E . T hellier a nd h is t eam f rom t he L aboratoire d e G eomagngtisme d e S aint-Maurd es-Fosses ( Val-de-Marne).
4
P . d e F arcy , A bbayes d e l '6veche d e B ayeux , IA bbaye d e L ongues, 1 887, p p . 2 4-25 ( Charte n o . 1d u c artulaire d e L ongues), G allia C hristiana , tX I, P aris, 1 874, I nstrumenta, c ol . 8 3.
5
P .de F arcy , o p .
6
H . A . Cm / me a nd R .
c it ., p .
5 9.
H . C . D avis , R egesta r egum a nglo-normannorum ,
1 066-1154, v ol . I II , O xford 1 968 , p . 2 31 ( No . 6 27), p p . 1 84-5 ( No . 4 9 ) 4), p p . 6 5-6 ( No . 1 80) a nd p p . 1 83-4 ( No . 4 92). L . D elisle , R ucueil d es a ctes d e H enri I I , r oi d 'Angleterre e t d uo d e N ormandie c oncernant l es p rovinces f ranoaises e t l es a ffaires d e F rance, P aris , 1 916, t I , p p . 5 62-564 . 7
E . K ing , ' The O rigins o f t he W ake F amily , T he E arly H istory o f t he B arony o f B ourne i n L incolnshire ', N orthamptonshire P ast a nd P resent , v ol . V , N o . 3 , p . 6 .
8
P ipe R olls S ociety , N o . 2 5,
9
T . S tapleton , M agni R otuli S oaccarii N ormanniae S ub R egibus A ngliae, L ondon , 1 844 , tI I, p . L XXXIIII .
1 0
D om L e N oir , C opies e t e xtraits d 'archives p ubliques e t p rivdes c oncernant l 'histoire d e l a N ormandie , v ol . 5 1, p . 1 91 ( Chambre d es C omptes, D dpöt d es f iefs , A veux , B aillage d e C aen , v ol . 3 00, N o . X XXVIII).
1
M any e xcavations h ave s hown t hat i n a reas w here s tone w as a bundant ,
1 904,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 24
p . 8 5 .
b uildings o f w ood w ere b eing r eplaced b y s tone h ouses a t t he e nd o f t he 1 2th c entury . I n E ngland f or e xample, m any h ouses o r s ingle s torey d wellings b uilt o f s tone a re k nown f rom t his p eriod ( T . H . T urner , D omestic A rchitecture i n E ngland , I , 1 951, p p . 2 9-56).
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
M EDIEVAL M OATED S ITES I N C OASTAL F LANDERS
b y F . V erhaeghe
F rom 1 972 u ntil e arly 1 976, a n a rchaeological s tudy o f m edieval r ural s ites w as c arried o ut i n a s mall z one o f t he w estern p art o f t he F lemish c oastal a rea ( Figs. 6 .1-2)(1). T he s tudy l ed t o t he d iscovery o f a n i mportant n umber o f m edieval m oated s ites a nd s ubsequently t o r esearch o n t his p articular a spect o f t he m edieval l andscape. B ut i n o rder t o u nderstand b oth t he s cope a nd t he l imitations o f t his w ork , a f ew p reliminary r emarks a re r equired . T he o riginal i dea h ad b een f or t he s tudy t o c over t he w hole o f t he F lemish c oastal a rea , b ut i t s oon b ecame c lear t hat t he n ature o f t he a rchaeological e vidence a nd o f t he m ethodological p roblems w as s uch t hat a n umber o f p ractical l imitations t o t his o bjective w as c alled f or . T he f irst l imitation c oncerned t he g eographical a rea c overed b y t he s tudy; w e w ill c ome b ack t o t hat l ater . A nother s eries o f l imitations w as i nherent i n t he t ype o f r esearch i tself a s w ell a s i n t he s ituation o f m edieval a rchaeology i n F landers a f ew y ears a go . T hree m ajor l evels o f a pproach - a nd o f p roblems - c ould b e d istinguished : t he d etection o f t he s ites , t he d ating a nd a rchaeological i nterpretation o f t he r emains a nd, f inally , t he h istorical i nterpretation o f t he a rchaeological d ata . F or e ach o f t hese l evels, a d ifferent s eries o f s ources - r anging f rom a erial p hotography a nd a rchaeological f ieldwork t o p lace-names , m aps a nd m edieval a nd p ostm edieval d ocuments - i s a vailable , b ut b efore t he e arly s eventies t heir r eal v alue t o F lemish m edieval a rchaeology h ad n ot y et b een c ritically a nd s ystematically a ssessed ( 2). H ence, i t q uickly b ecame i mperative t o t ry a nd d evelop a s trict a nd s ystematic a pproach , c omparing t he d ifferent t ypes o f e vidence w ith e ach o ther a nd e specially w ith t he a rchaeological e vidence. B ut a t t he s ame t ime, t his a rchaeological e vidence i tself h ad n ot y et b een s tudied t horoughly a nd w as s till t o a l arge e xtent u nknown . A s a n e xample o f t his, o ne s hould b ear i n m ind t hat f requently t he d ating o f t he s ites c an o nly b e b ased o n p ottery w hile a t t he s ame t ime t he m edieval p ottery f rom t his p articular a rea w as n ot y et v ery w ell k nown . O bviously , t he o nly r easonable w ay t o g et a ny v alid r esults w as t o w ork i n a s emi-experimental w ay , c ombining t rial e xcavations w ith n on-excavational a rchaeological f ieldwork a s w ell a s w ith t he s tudy o f c artographic a nd w ritten s ources , a nd p roceeding f rom l imited t est c ases t o m ore c omplex p roblems. T o t his e ffect , a v illage t erritory w as s elected a s a f irst t est c ase a nd t he c hoice f ell o n t he v illage o f L ampernisse ( 3), a s l imited a rchaeological w ork a nd p reliminary s urveys ( 4) h ad i ndicated t he e xistence o f i nteresting Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 27
F ig .
6 .1
L ocation o f t he t est-zone
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 28
a rchaeological p otential i n t hat a rea . F irst a v ery d etailed a rchaeological s urvey w as c arried o ut, t he r esults o f w hich w ere c ontinuously c ompared w ith m ost o f t he a vailable s ources ( air p hotographs, t he c omplete r ange o f c artographic s ources a nd t he a lmost c omplete r ange o f t oponymical a nd w ritten e vidence). S imultaneously , a m ajor t est s ite w ith r easonably g ood p rospects o f a n a dequate s tratigraphic s equence w as s elected f or e xtensive t rial e xcavation , t hus p roviding u s w ith - a mongst o ther d ata -as eries o f e ssential p ointers c oncerning t he m edieval p ottery f ound i n t he a rea . N ext, s maller t rial e xcavations w ith l imited a ims ( dating a nd t he s tudy o f c ertain e lements o f t he s ites) w ere c arried o ut i n t he v icinity o f t his m ajor t est s ite. O n t he w hole, e ight s ites h ave t hus b een s ubjected t o t rial e xcavation ( 5). D uring t he n ext s tage , t he v illages s urrounding L ampernisse w ere s urveyed b y m eans o f f ield p rospection , u sing t he m ost i mportant m aps a nd w ritten s ources, a nd e specially t he d ata a nd e xperience g ained w hile s urveying L ampernisse. T he t rial e xcavations h ad s hown t he e xtent t o w hich s urface f inds c ould b e u sed a s c hronological i ndicators. T hus, w e i n f act a dapted t he r egressive a pproach o f h istorical g eography t o s uit t he a rchaeologist 's n eeds a nd a ims, f lavoured i t w ith a h eavy d ose o f f ield a rchaeology a nd p rogressively r efined i t b y u sing a s ystem o f t est c ases a t d ifferent l evels. I t i s i mportant t o s tress t hese p oints, b ecause t hey e xplain w hy o ur k nowledge o f m edieval m oated s ites i s n ot y et a s e xtensive f or F landers a s i t i s f or i nstance f or E ngland , w here a l ot m ore f ieldwork a nd e xcavation h as b een c arried o ut . T hey a lso s how t he n eed f or m ore f ieldwork a nd e xcavation a nd d emonstrate w hy w e s till h ave t o b e v ery c areful w ith d ating a nd i nterpretation a nd w hy a s y et o nly a n umber o f w orking h ypotheses c an b e f ormulated . T he g eographical a rea c oncerned i n o ur s tudy a lso d eserves a c loser l ook , a s i t p resents a n umber o f i mportant f eatures . A s i ndicated a bove , w e l imited t he s tudy t o a t est z one . T his t est z one h ad a t otal s urface a rea o f a pproximately 1 3 ,500 h ectares ( or c . 3 3 ,300 a cres) a nd c overed t he t erritories o f e ighteen v illages, r oughly b etween V eurne a nd D iksmuide ( Fig . 6 .2)(6). T his t est z one d oes n ot c orrespond t o ag eographical o r h istorical e ntity a nd i s a t est z one i n t he r eal s ense o f t hat w ord . T his, h owever , d oes n ot m ean t hat i t w as c hosen i n ac ompletely h aphazard w ay . F rom t he M iddle A ges t ill t he 1 8th c entury , i t w as p art o f o ne s ingle i nstitutional a nd j udicial u nit , t he V eurne-Ambacht. T his t o s ome e xtent e liminated p ossibleorganisational ,judicial o r i nstitutional v ariables w hich m ight h ave b een d ifficult t o i dentify , e specially a t t his s tage o f t he s tudy . T he t est z one a lso c overed p art o f t hree d ifferent g eographical - o r m ore p recisely p edogenetic- l andscapes: t he M iddle P olders i n t he e ast , t he O ld P olders i n t he c entre a nd t he P leistocene a rea ( or s andy l oamy F landers) i n t he w est ( see F ig . 6 .3). T hese l andscape a reas m ake u p c . 4 1% , 3 7% a nd 2 2% r espectively o f t he t est z one, t hus a llowing u s t o f ind o ut w hether o r n ot t he g eographical e nvironment i nfluenced t he a rchaeological f eatures. A s hort d iscussion o f t hese l andscapes w ill i ndicate w hy t heir c haracteristics a re i mportant t o o ur r esearch ( 7). T he P leistocene a rea , a s o pposed t o t he p olders, i s n ot c overed Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 29
L U C D L U
R (JKERS )
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 30
D R IEKAPELLEN ( N IEU WKAPELLE)
( KAASKERKE)
DO :D R IEKAPELLEN ( OUDEKAPELLE)
ON
DK: D IKSMU IDE
BW : BEAUVOORDE ( WULVER INGEM)
B V : BEAUVOORDE ( V INKEM)
A LSR :ALVER INGEM ( S INT
A LO :ALVER INGEM ( OEREN )
ALALVER INGEM
T HE T EST-ZONE
PO: P ERV IJZE
L U
L U C L.
CL .
0
( L AMPERN ISSE) ( 005TKERKE )
b y H olocene m arine s ediments. T he s oil c onsists o f am ore o r l ess s andy l oam , w hich i s a n e olian d eposit r esting o n t ertiary ( Ypresian) l ayers a nd d ating f rom t he W arm g laciation . T he a rea i s s lightly u ndulating a nd e xhibits a n umber o f v ery w ide s hallow b oreal v alleys. T he l evel i s 2t o 8m . h igher t han t he p olders a nd t he a rea h as a w ater t able a t ad epth o f 1 .25 t o 2m . T he d rainage - b oth n atural a nd a rtificial - i s v ery a dequate. A s t he a rea i s m ore h eavily w ooded t han t he p olders ( where t rees a re r ather s carce), i t i s s ometimes r eferred t o a s t he ' woodland '. I t h as b een i n u se s ince p re-medieval t imes a nd i s m ore d ensely s ettled t han t he p olders. A rable l and i s f ar m ore i mportant t han m eadow l and a nd t he f arms g enerally h ave a s maller a creage t han t hose i n t he p olders , a s ituation w hich a pparently g oes b ack t o t he M iddle A ges ( 8 ) a nd w hich h elps t o e xplain t he d ifference i n o ccupation d ensity ( cf . i nfra). T he p olders w ere i nvaded b y t he s ea w hich d eposited m arine s ediments ( mainly c lay) o n a n i mportant p eat l ayer . T he a rea i s f lat a nd p ractically t reeless ( 9), a nd m eadows a re a p redominant f eature, a t l east t ill t he 1 9th c entury . T he s ettlement p attern i s a t ypical o pen o ne , w ith v ery s mall v illage c entres a nd i solated f armsteads . T he O ld P olders f orm t he a rea w ith m arine s ediments d eposited b y t he D unkirk I I t ransgression , b etween t he 3 rd a nd t he 8 th c entury A .D . O ne o f t he o ldest F lemish d ikes, t he O ude Z eedijk , c onstructed i n t he 1th c entury , p rotected t hem f rom t he D unkirk I IIA t ransgression a nd s eparates t hem f rom t he M iddle P olders , w here t he D unkirk I I s ediments a re c overed b y t he D unkirk I IIA o nes ( see F ig . 6 .3). T he D unkirk I IIA t ransgression c ut a n umber o f c reeks, s ome o f w hich a re n ow s till r ecognisable a s s hallow d epressions. T he p olders i n o ur t est z one t hat d efensive d ikes w ere b uilt. t ransgressions, t he a rea b ecame a u sed f or s heep . G radually , t hese
w ere n ot r eclaimed i n t he s ense D uring t he r egression p hase o f t he z one o f s altings a nd m ud f lats, f lats d ried o ut a nd w ere s ettled.
A n i mportant p henomenon w hich h as t o b e m entioned a t t his p oint i s t he s o-called i nversion o f t he m icro-relief i n t he O ld P olders, e specially a s i t h as b een s uggested t hat t his p henomenon a ffected t he m edieval s ettlement p attern . T he s equence o f e vents c an b e d escribed a s f ollows: t he D unkirk I I t ransgression c ut a n umber o f c reeks t hrough t he p eat . I n t hese c reeks, t he s tronger c urrents d eposited o nly s and , w hile o utside t hem t he l ighter a nd s maller c lay p articles w ere d eposited o n t he p eat . T he l atter i s t o s ome e xtent c ompressible a nd t he c lay-on-peat s oils s lowly s ank , g radually b ecoming l ower a nd w etter . I n t he c reeks, h owever , t he p eat h ad b een c ut a way a nd t he s and i tself w as n ot c ompressible . A s a r esult o f t his d ifference, t he f ormer c reek d epressions w ith s andy i nfilling g radually b ecame l ow , s andy r idges. T hese c reek r idges p rovided b etter s ettlement s oils t han t he c lay-on-peat a reas : t hey a re s lightly h igher a nd l ess p rone t o s uffer f rom i nundations, t hey a re m ore s table a nd p rovide b etter f arming l and , a nd t he g roundwater i s o f b etter q uality t han t he s altier p eat w ater . I t h as b een s uggested t hat t he 9 th-11th c entury o ccupation l ay o n t he c lay-on-peat s oils , t hat t he i nversion o f t he m icro-relief c aused t heir d esertion a nd t hat b y t he 1th c entury t he s ettlements m oved t o t he c reek r idges. T he s ites u sed a s e xamples o f t his p rocess a re m ainly m oated s ites
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 31
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
a nd f requently t he m oat h as b een i nterpreted a s h aving a d rainage f unction w hich b ecame n ecessary a s ar esult o f t he i nversion p henomenon . O bviously t his t heory w as o f d irect i mportance t o o ur s tudy o f t he m oated s ites . T he s urvey a llowed u s t o d etect n o l ess t han 3 67 o ccupation s ites o f m edieval d ate o utside t he p resent-day v illage c entres ( 10). O f t hese 3 67 s ites , 1 0 1 w ere s till o ccupied b y f arms o r b y u nused b uildings , w hile t he r emainder w ere d eserted . I n s eventeen o f t he 3 67 c ases, t he s ite n ever h ad a m oat , a nd i n t wenty-seven c ases t he s ite h ad b een a ltered t o s uch a n e xtent t hat , s hort o f t rial e xcavation , o ne c ould n ot b e s ure w hether o r n ot t he s ite e ver h ad a m oat , t hough t here w ere s ome i ndications p ointing t o i ts e xistence . T his m eans t hat t he s urvey a llowed u s t o l ocate a t l east 3 23 a nd p ossibly 3 50 - m oated s ites o f m edieval d ate , a nd , a s i ndicated, e ight o f t hese h ave a lready b een s ubjected t o t rial e xcavation . I n f act , t he n umber o f m edieval m oated s ites i n t he t est z one w as m ost p robably h igher : t he c artographic a nd p ost-medieval d ocumentary e vidence i ndicates t hat a f air n umber o f o ther s ites a lso h ad a m oat w hich s ometimes s till e xists - b ut w e h ave n ot b een a ble t o f ind c onclusive a rchaeological e vidence t o i dentify t hem a s b eing o f m edieval d ate ( 11). P revious e xperience w ith o ther s ites, h owever , s uggests t hat m any o f t hem ( if n ot m ost) v ery p robably d ate f rom t he M iddle A ges a nd w ill e ventually h ave t o b e i ncluded i n t he l ist . A ll t his d oes n ot , h owever , a ffect o ur b asic c onclusions c onsidering t he g eneral s ettlement a nd d istribution p atterns , t he h istorical i nterpretation o r t he g eneral c haracteristics o f t he m oated s ites. I n f act a h igher n umber o f m oated s ites o f m edieval d ate w ould o nly s trengthen t hem . T he p resent l ist g ives u s a mple o pportunity t o l ook a t a n umber o f e ssential p oints , s uch a s t he g eneral m orphology , t he p lan e lements a nd t heir c haracteristics, t he g eneral d ating a nd t he d istribution p attern o f t he m edieval m oated s ites w ithin o ur t est z one. F irst , t heir g eneral a spect . T hese m oated s ites d o n ot b asically d iffer f rom t hose w hich o ccur t hroughout N orth W estern E urope , a t l east a s f ar a s t he g eneral p lan a nd t he b asic e lements a re c oncerned . B asically , t hey a re f airly s imple s ites, c onsisting o f a t l east o ne s ettlement a rea - o r i sland o r p latform - w here t he b uilding (s) s tood a nd w hich i s c ompletely o r p artly s urrounded b y a m oat ( 12). S ome o f t hem a re m ore c omplex a nd h ave t wo , o r e ven t hree, s ettlement a reas a nd/or t wo m oats a nd a b ank , b ut e ven i n t hese c ases, t he b asic e lements r emain t he i sland w ith a m oat . T he g eneral p lan a llowed u s t o p ropose a t ypological c lassification s ystem , w hich w as b ased o n t he R .C .H .M . c lassification s ystem f or t he m oated s ites o f W est C ambridgeshire ( 13), a s a dapted b y M rs J . L e P atourel f or t he Y orkshire o nes ( 14). T he E nglish s ystem n eeded o nly s ome s light a daptations t o s uit o ur n eeds. T aking i nto a ccount t he n umber o f s ettlement a reas , t he f act w hether o r n ot t he m oat s urrounds t he i sland(s) c ompletely a nd t he p ossible p resence o f a b ank ( which g enerally i mplies t he p resence o f a s econd m oat), w e d istinguish f ive m ajor g roups ( see F igs . 6 .4a a nd ) 4 b):
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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G roup
A1
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t ype A 1C
G roup
t ype A 1 0
A2
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t ype A2 b A
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T ypes o f m oated s ites i n t he t est-zone :
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 34
G roups A l
t o A 2
G roup A l:
s ites w ith o nly o ne s ettlement a rea , w hich i s c ompletely o r a lmost c ompletely - s urrounded b y am oat . A f urther d istinction c an b e m ade w hen o ne t akes i nto a ccount t he g eneral s hape o f t he i sland w hich c an b e s quare, r ectangular , c ircular o r i rregular .
G roup A 2 :
s ites w ith t wo s ettlement a reas, b oth o f w hich a re c ompletely o r a lmost c ompletely s urrounded b y am oat. T he i slands a re c ontiguous . T he g roup a lso i ncludes t hose s ites w here t he s econd i sland i s o nly p artly s urrounded b y t he m oat . T he s ub-groups a re d efined b y t he r elative p osition o f t he t wo i slands, s ince t hey c an l ie n ext t o e ach o ther o r t he l arger o ne c an e nclose t he s maller o ne . I n o ur t est z one, i t i s n ot a lways p ossible t o d etermine w hether t wo s ites, e ach o f w hich c an b elong t o g roup A l a nd w hich l ie f airly c lose t o o ne a nother , a re t o b e i dentified a s t wo s ites o f g roup A l o r o ne s ite o f s ub-group A 2f . I t i s n ot c ertain w hether t his s ub-group a ctually e xists i n t he t est z one .
G roup A 3:
s ites w hich a re c ompletely o r p artly s urrounded b y am oat a nd a b ank , w hich i n f act s eparates t he m ajor m oat f rom a s econd o ne , t he l atter g enerally b eing l ess s ignificant i n s ize t han t he f ormer. O n t his p oint , o ur c lassification s ystem d iffers c onsiderably f rom t he Y orkshire o ne , i n w hich A 3 s ites a re t he o nes w ith e xtensive p ost-medieval m odifications ( 15). I n o ur t est z one , h owever , t he l atter a ppear t o b elong r ather i n g roup A 5, w hile a t t he s ame t ime m oated s ites w ith b anks s eem t o f orm a s pecific g roup .
G roup A 4:
s ites w ith a s ettlement a rea w hich i s n ot c ompletely s urrounded b y am oat , b ut w here t he m oat b orders t he i sland o n t wo o r t hree s ides o nly . M ost o f t he s ites b elonging t o t his g roup - o r ' open ' m oated s ites - o nly h ave a s ingle s ettlement a rea , a nd o ne c an i n f act c onsider t hem t o b e v ariants o f g roup A l.
G roup A S:
s ites w hich h ave m ore t han t wo s ettlement a reas , f or t he m oment i ncluding t hose t o w hich a t hird s ettlement a rea w as a dded i n p ost-medieval t imes. A 5 s ites a ppear t o b e r ather s carce i n o ur t est z one a nd w e d id n ot d etect a s ingle e xample w hich f or c ertain w as a n A S s ite w hich a ntedated t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges; i n a ll c ases , t he d ating o f t he t hird s ettlement a rea r emained d oubtful .
I n t his c lassification s ystem , an umber o f e lements h ave d eliberately n ot b een t aken i nto a ccount . T he s ize o f t he s ettlement a rea(s) i s o ne o f t hese . I t m ay s how w ide v ariations f rom o ne s ite t o a nother , b ut t here a ppears t o b e n o g round f or a c lear-cut d ivision i nto w ell d efined s ize-groups. T he s urface o f t he s ettlement a rea r anges f rom c . 7 50 s q . m . ( for t he v ery r are s mallest s ites) t o c . 2 ,500 s q . m . b ut w ithin t hose l imits a ll s izes o ccur , a nd a lthough i n m ost c ases t he i sland h as a s urface a rea b etween c . 1 ,200 a nd 2 ,000 s q . m .,there a re n o c learly i dentifiable Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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T ypes o f m oated s ites i n t he t est-zone:
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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G roups A 3 t o A 5
d ivisions b etween d ifferent g roups. O nly a v ery s mall n umber o f s ites h ave s ettlement a reas w hich e xceed c . 3 000 s q . m . i n a rea , b ut t hese a re e xceptional a nd t heir s heer s ize a s w ell a s t he h istorical i nformation s uggest t hat t hey w ere f ar m ore i mportant - s ocially a nd e conomically - t han t he a verage s ite ( 16). A c orrelation b etween s ize o n t he o ne h and a nd t ype , d ating a nd/or s upplementary f eatures ( such a s a r aised ' island ') o n t he o ther c ould n ot b e d etected e ither , t hus f urther w eakening a ny a ttempt a t c lassification i nto s ize-groups. A nother a spect n ot t aken i nto a ccount i s t he f act t hat t he s ettlement a rea c an b e r aised . A gain , ad irect l ink b etween t he p resence o f ar aised p latform a nd t he t ype , s ize o r d ate o f t he s ite c ould n ot b e f ound . S ome r elatively s mall s ites o f g roup A l h ave a r aised ' island ', w hile s ome m ore c omplex s ites d o n ot ( 17). I t s hould b e n oted , h owever , t hat t he s ites o f g roup A 2 -a nd i n p articular t hose b elonging t o s ub-group A 2b - f airly o ften h ave o ne r aised i sland , t hough t his i s b y n o m eans t he r ule ( 18). A s w e w ill s ee ( cf . i nfra), r aised p latforms m ay h ave a d efinite s ignificance , b ut o n t he o ther h and , t hey a re a t oo h aphazardly o ccurring f eature t o b e i nterpreted a s a n e lement i n t he t ypological c lassification . T his t ypology r aises s everal q uestions, o ne o f w hich h as t o b e d iscussed b riefly . I t c oncerns t he r elative n umerical i mportance o f t he d ifferent t ype-groups i n o ur t est z one . I n f orty-nine c ases , i t w as n ot p ossible t o i dentify t he s ite a s d efinitely b elonging t o o ne g roup o r a nother . T hese a re m ainly s ites i n w hich i t i s u ncertain w hether t hey w ere c ompletely o r o nly p artly s urrounded b y am oat a nd w hich m ay b elong e ither t o g roup A l o r t o g roup A 4. I n b oth c ases, h owever , w e a re d ealing w ith s ites w ith o ne s ingle s ettlement a rea . A nother g roup , A 2f , c onstitutes a d ifferent p roblem , b ecause - a s w e a lready i ndicated - i t w as n ot p ossible i n t he a bsence o f d etailed h istorical i nformation t o i dentify t wo s ingle s ites l ying f airly c lose t ogether a s o ne s ite o f g roup A 2f ; f ourteen s ites , l isted a s b elonging t o g roup A l, m ay i n f act c onstitute s even s ites o f s ub-group A 2f ( 19). B ut l eaving a side t hese s ixty-three c ases, t ogether w ith t he t wentys even s ites w hich c ould n ot d efinitely b e i dentified a s m oated s ites, w e h ave a t otal n umber o f 2 60 u nits w hich c an g ive u s s ome i nformation . I t a ppears t hat a t l east 2 00 o f t hese ( or c . 7 7%) b elong t o g roup A l, t hirty-four ( or c . 1 3%) t o g roup A 2 , t en ( or c . 4 %) t o g roup A 3 , f ourteen ( or c . 5 .3%) t o g roup A 4 a nd t wo ( or c . 0 .7%) t o g roup A 5. W hen o ne c onsiders t hat o f t he s ixty-three c ases l eft o ut o f t his s eries, m any i f n ot m ost h ave o nly o ne s ettlement a rea , i t b ecomes e ven m ore o bvious t hat g roup A l, i .e. t he s implest s ites , f orm t he o verwhelming m ajority . T o t his m ay b e a dded t hat a pproximately 9 5% o f t he A l s ites h ave a s quare o r r ectangular ' island '. O nly o ne c ase o f a n A l s ite w ith a c ircular p latform o ccurred ( 20), w hile t he r emainder h ad a m ore i rregularly s haped ( but g enerally q uadrangular) ' island '. G roup A 2 i s f ar l ess c ommon , b ut t he n umber o f s ites i n t his t ype s hows t hat t hey a re f ar f rom b eing e xceptional; q uite s ignificant i s t he f act t hat c . 6 0% o f t he A 2 s ites b elong t o s ub-group A 2b , w ith a m otte a nd b ailey t ype o f p lan ; t he o ther s ub-groups a re r epresented o nly b y a f ew e xamples e ach . A 3 s ites a re s carce , w hile 1 4 5 s ites a ppear t o b e a n e xceptional p henomenon . A nother q uestion a rising f rom t he t ypological c lassification c oncerns t he m eaning o f t his c lassification i n r elation t o t he h istorical, s ocial , e conomic o r c hronological b ackground o f t he s ites. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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I n o ther w ords, i s t here a d irect c onnection b etween a c ertain t ype o f m oated s ite o n t he o ne h and a nd c ertain p eriods a nd t he s ocial a nd e conomic i mportance o f t he o wners o n t he o ther? T his q uestion c annot y et b e a nswered m a d efinite w ay , a s m ore t horough r esearch o n t he d ocumentary e vidence a nd m ore e xcavation w ork i s s till n eeded. I t m ay b e n oted , h owever , t hat t he p resent a uthor h as t he f eeling t hat n o s uch d irect l ink e xisted , e xcept m aybe f or t he f act t hat t he m ore c omplex a nd t he l arger t he s ite, t he m ore i mportant t he o wners m ay h ave b een ( socially a nd f inancially). B ut a t p resent , t his i s n othing m ore t han a r easonable h ypothesis a nd i t i s n ot i mpossible t hat t he c lassification a ccording t o s hape w ill i n t he e nd p rove t o b e n othing m ore t han a m eans o f d escription . T he c haracteristics o f t he d ifferent c omponents o f t he m oated s ites a lso d eserve o ur a ttention . T he m ajor e lements t o b e c onsidered a re: t he m oat i tself , t he s ettlement a rea o r i sland , t he e ntrance w ay , t he b ank a nd t he f act t hat t he s ettlement a rea m ay b e r aised . O f t hese , t he m oat , t he i sland a nd t he e ntrance w ay a re a lways p resent , w hile t he r emaining e lements a re i n f act s ubsidiary. T he l atter i s t rue a lso i n t he c ase o f t he s econd o r o uter m oat, w hich o ccurs w hen t he s ite h as a b ank . U ndoubtedly , t he m oat i s t he m ost i mportant c omponent, n ot o nly b ecause i t i dentifies a nd s ets a part t his s pecific t ype o f o ccupation s ite , b ut a lso b ecause i t i n f act d efines t he s ettlement a rea(s) a nd t hus d etermines t he s hape a nd t ype o f t he s ite. I n o ur t est z one , t he m oat n ever h as a w idth - m easured f rom l ip t o l ip o f l ess t han 5 m ., b ut i t s hould b e s tressed t hat m oats w ith a w idth o f l ess t han 9 m . a re r ather s carce ( 21). T he m ajority o f t he m oats h ad a w idth v arying f rom 1 0 m . t o 1 5 m . a nd s ome - t hough n ot m any w ere e ven w ider ( 22). C ompared t o t he w idth , t he d epth o f t he m oat ( measured f rom t he n ormal l evel o f t he s urrounding f ields) i s g enerally n ot v eryimpressive . I t i s n ever l ess t han 1 .50 m . ( point o f m aximum d epth) a nd - a s f ar a s w e k now - s eldom e xceeds 2 .50 m . ( 23). A ccording t o t he d ata y ielded b y t he t rial e xcavations i n L ampernisse a nd Z oetenaaie a nd t o t he i ndications g athered b y m eans o f an gering i n c . 1 20 f illed-in m oats , t he d epth g enerally v aries f rom 1 .80 m . t o 2 .30 m . T he t rial e xcavations a lso b rought a nother s ignificant p oint t o l ight . I n t he p olders ( 24), t he m oat a lways s eems t o h ave t he s ame , r ather c omplex s ection : i t h as a n a lmost f lat o r v ery s lightly s agging b ottom , w ith i n t he m iddle a d eeper , c entral d epression o f t he s ame g eneral s hape; t his c entral , f lat-bottomed d epression i s n ormally a bout h alf a s w ide a s t he m oat , f orms t he d eepest p art o f i t a nd r uns a long i ts c entral a xis . T his t ype o f s ection m ight p erhaps b est b e c ompared t o t he s ection o f ad eep, w ide-flanged s oup-plate ( see F ig . 6 .6 ). A n i mportant p oint i s t hat t he c entral d epression h as a lways b een c ut i nto t he u nderlying p eat , w hile t he b ottom p art o f t he s hallow s ides o f t he m oat g enerally c losely f ollows t he d ividing l ine - o r c ontact z one - b etween t he p eat a nd t he y ounger m arine c lay s ediments . I t i s o bvious t hat t he m oat w as d ug t his w ay f or s pecific r easons . O ne r eason m ay b e t he f act t hat, t echnically s peaking , i t i s e asier a nd m ore e conomical n ot t o c ut t he m oat a s d eep a s t he c entral p art e verywhere. B ut m ore i mportant i s t he f act t hat t he p eat c ontains t he g roundwater l evels i n t hese Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P late 6 .1
A erial p hotograph o f t he c entral p art o f L ampernisse ( Photo : R AF 1 944, n o . 3 065 , s cale 1 /9200 , C rown c opyright r eserved)
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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p olders , a nd c utting t hrough p art o f i t a ssures a c onstant w ater s upply ( as w e u nfortunately c ould a ppreciate d uring o ur e xcavation c ampaigns). E lderly d rainage w orkers f rom t he a rea c onfirmed t he f act . I t i s t herefore q uite r easonable t o a ssume t hat t he m oat w as c ut t his w ay , p recisely t o e nsure a c onstant w ater s upply . T he c entral d eeper p art n ot o nly b ecomes u nderstandable , b ut i t w ould i n f act b e n ecessary . T he i mplication o f a ll t his i s t hat t he m oat w as c learly i ntended t o b e aw et o ne a nd n ot t o b e ad ry d itch . S ome o ther p ieces o f e vidence s upport t his c onclusion . O ne o f t he L ampernisse s ites i s m entioned i n ad ocument d ating f rom 1 335 a nd t he t ext s uggests t hat t he c attle c ould n ot t ake w ater f rom t he m oat , e xcept w hen , b ecause o f d rought , n o o ther w ater w as a vailable t o t hem ( 25). A nother L ampernisse s ite ( 26) w as s ited i n s uch a w ay a s t o e nsure t hat i t w as e asier t o d ig a w et m oat a nd t o k eep i t w et : t he s ite w as p laced o n t he l ower , w etter a nd m ore u nstable c lay-onp eat s oil , i mmediately n ext t o ah igher a nd d ryer s andy c reek-ridge; t his r idge o bviously b elonged t o t he s ame o wner a nd w ould c ertainly h ave p rovided a b etter s ettlement s ite, i ncluding d rinkable w ater , b ut i t p robably h ad o ne m ajor f law : i t w as n one t oo e asy t o k eep t he m oat f looded i n t his s andy a nd p e rmeable s oil. T hese s uggestions a ttain t heir f ull i mportance w hen c onsidering t he f unction a nd m eaning o f t he m oat ( cf . b elow , p . 1 5 14 ) . T he n ext m ost i mportant e lement i s t he s ettlement a rea . I n m ost c ases , i t i s n othing m ore t han a f lat o r o nly v ery s lightly r aised a rea o r p latform , d efined b y t he m oat. I ts g eneral s hape h as a lready b een d iscussed a nd i t i s s ufficient h ere t o s tress t he f act t hat g enerally t he i sland i s s quare o r r ectangular ( 27). N o d efinite r eason f or t his h as y et b een f ound . I n an umber o f c ases , t he p latform i s p artly r aised , i .e . i t h as a v ery s lightly r aised i nner b ank , w hich r uns a long t he i nner s ide o f t he m oat a nd w hich g ives t he i mpression t hat t he p latform h as a v ery s hallow c entral d epression . A t rial e xcavation o n a s ite s howing t his p articular f eature i ndicated t his b ank t o b e t he r esult o f t he d eposition o f e arth w hich b ecame a vailable w hen t he m oat w as c ut ( 28). I n s ome c ases , t he p resence o f s cant b uilding r emains a long t he e dge o f t he p latform m ay p ossibly a lso a ccount f or t he p resence o f s uch a n i nner b ank , b ut t his h as n ot y et b een p roved . A t l east f orty s ites h ave i ntentionally r aised i slands ( 29). I n t hese c ases, t he p latform i s f rom 0 .50 m . t o c . 2m . h igher t han t he s urrounding f ields. P latforms w hich a re h igher t han 2 m . o ccur ( 30), b ut a re e xceptional. T he e levation n ever e xceeds 4 m ., a t l east a s f ar a s w e k now . I t s hould b e n oted , h owever , t hat a n e levation o f c . 2m . i s s till f airly c onsiderable i n a n a rea a s f lat a s t he p olders. A t a ny r ate , t he n umber o f r aised p latforms i ndicates t hat t his p articular f eature i s n ot a n u ncommon o ne i n o ur t est z one, a nd i t i s i nteresting t o n ote t hat t hey o ccur b oth i n t he p olders a nd i n t he h igher a nd d ryer P leistocene a rea . A s a lready i ndicated , av ery d irect l ink b etween t he t ype o f s ite a nd t he p resence o f a r aised p latform c ould n ot b e d etected. I n t he c ase o f A 2 s ites - a nd p articularly o f A 2b s ites - h owever , i t r egularly h appens t hat o ne o f t he p latforms h as b een r aised, w hile t he s econd o ne h as r emained m ore o r l ess l evel w ith t he s urrounding f ields; f urther i nvestigation h as Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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s hown t hat t he r aised p latform g enerally i s t he r esidential o ne, w here t he l iving q uarters s tood ( 3 1) o r s till s tand ( 32), w hile t he r emaining o ne h ouses t he o ther f arm b uildings, s uch a s t he b arn a nd t he s table . T he e levation c an b e t he r esult o f ag radual b uild-up o f t he s ite, w hen i t w as o ccupied f or a l onger p eriod , t he o ccupation l ayers m ay a lso t hen b e s eparated b y l ayers r epresenting i ntentional r aising o n t he o ccasion o f t he r enewal o r r eorganisation o f t he s ite ( 33). T he e levation m ay a lso b e t he r esult o f o ne s ingle o peration ( 34). I t i s n ot i mpossible t hat m any o f t he h igher s ites a re m ulti-period o nes, w hile t hose w ith a p latform 1 m . t o 2m . h igh h ave b een b uilt t hat w ay i n o ne s ingle o peration . T his i s w hat t he t rial e xcavations a nd a s eries o f a ugering o perations s uggest, b ut, p ending f urther e xcavation , i t h as t o r emain a h ypothesis a nd n othing m ore. T he c utting o f t he m oat g enerally p rovided t he e arth n ecessary f or t he r aising o peration , b ut i n s ome c ases, e arth m ay a lso h ave b een b rought i n f rom e lsewhere . T his , h owever , h as s till t o b e p roved . T he e xistence o f r aised p latforms m ay h ave a s pecific m eaning , b ut w e w ill r efer t o t his l ater ( cf . i nfra). T he s ettlement a rea 's p rime f unction o f c ourse w as t o h ouse t he b uildings . A t t he p resent t ime , h owever , w e k now n ext t o n othing a bout t hese, p artly b ecause o f t he e xcavation m ethods u sed ( trenches), p artly b ecause o f t he l imited e xcavation a ctivity , a nd p artly b ecause o f a p articular p henomenon i n t he p older a rea . T his r equires a n e xplanation . B uilding m aterials ( timber , s tone o r b rick) a ppear t o h ave b een a f airly e xpensive c ommodity i n t he p olders, a s w ood a nd s tone h ad t o b e i mported , w hile b rick h ad t o b e p roduced . T he p ractice o f r obbing b uilding m aterials ( and e specially b ricks) f rom d eserted o r e ven o nly t emporarily a bandoned s ites s eems t o h ave b een p ractised o n ag rand s cale , e ven t o t he e xtent t hat t he e arly 1 7th c entury r egulations ( which g o b ack t o t he M iddle A ges) e xplicitly f orbade i t a nd m ade i t a n o ffence ( 35). T he t rial e xcavations o n t he s ite o f t he L eenhofter W issche s howed u s t hat t he b ricks o f t he b uildings h ad b een r obbed s hortly a fter t he s ite w as d eserted , a nd t hat t he r obbing w as d one i n av ery t horough w ay : e ven t he f oundations w ere r obbed a nd o n t he l ower p latform t hey w ere c ompletely o bliterated ( 36). S o t he p rospects f or f uture e xcavations a re n ot p articularly b right. T he f ew a vailable i ndications s uggest t hat m ost o f t he b uildings c onsisted a t l east p artly o f b rick . T his i s e specially t rue o f t he p olders. I n t he ' woodland', w ood m ay h ave p layed a m ore i mportant p art, a nd i t i s n ot i mpossible t hat t he u pper p art o f t he w alls c onsisted o f t imber w alling w ith b rick n agging . S tone a ppears t o b e p ractically c ompletely a bsent, t hough s ome o f t he c hurches i n t he ' woodland ', a s w ell a s i n t he p olders a re a t l east p artly b uilt w ith i t a nd s ome o f t he m ost i mportant s ites m ay h ave h ad i t a s w ell . A s f ar a s t he g eneral l ayout a nd t he p lan o f t he f arms a nd i ndividual b uildings a re c oncerned , t here i s t oo l ittle e vidence t o a llow e ven f or a n h ypothesis. T here a re n o s ites w here t he m edieval b uildings a re s till p reserved , a nd g enerally t he b uildings n ow i n e xistence a re o f f airly r ecent o r v ery r ecent d ate . T his i s n ot s urprising w hen o ne c onsiders t he p articularly t urbulent h istory o f Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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t he a rea f rom t he 1 4th c entury u p t o a nd i ncluding t he F irst W orld W ar . O nly f urther e xcavations c an b ring u s s ome m ore o r l ess r eliable c lues. T he e ntrance w ay i s t he f inal c omponent w hich i s a lways p resent. I n m ost c ases , i t n ow c onsists o f a n e arthen c auseway w hich i nterrupts t he c ourse o f t he m oat . I n t he c ase o f o ne s ite ( 37), t here a re i ndications t hat a n e ntrance w ay o f t his t ype e xisted r ight f rom t he s tart a nd w as c reated s imply b y l eaving a s tretch o f s oil u ntouched w hen c utting t he m oat . B ut t his a ppears t o b e e xceptional . P ractically a ll t he m oated s ites w hich h ave n ow b een p loughed u p -a nd t here a re s eventy-four o f t hese - s how t hat t he m oat o riginally s urrounded t he i sland c ompletely a nd w as n ever i nterrupted b y a n e arthen c auseway . O n o ther s ites, s ystematic a ugering p roved t he s ame t o b e t rue : t he m uddy i nfilling o f t he m oat w as f ound u nderneath t he a pparently w ell-packed a nd f airly s olid e arthen c auseway , s howing t he l atter t o b e o f a l ater d ate t han t he m oat a nd s uggesting t hat t he c auseway o ften c ame i nto b eing o nly a fter t he s ite h ad b een d eserted a nd t he m oat f illed i n . T he t rial e xcavations o n t wo s ites ( 38) c onfirmed t his : t he p resent c auseways a re o f p ost-medieval d ate a nd h ave b een b uilt l ong a fter s ites h ad b een d eserted . S o i n f act, t he o riginal e ntrance w ay f requently - i f n ot p ractically a lways c onsisted o f ab ridge . T he t wo t rial e xcavations d id i ndeed y ield s ome o f t he r emains o f t hese b ridges : t hree w ooden p osts i n t he c ase o f t he L eenhof t er W issche ( 39) a nd o ne w ooden p ost a nd e vidence f or t he e xistence o f a b rick a butment i n t he c ase o f s ite D PL .35 ( 40). A n umber o f m oated f armsteads w hich a re o ccupied t oday s till h ave a b ridge o ver t he m oat w hich c ompletely i solates t he s ites f rom t he s urrounding f ields ( 41). A s a c orollary , t he e ntrance c an h ave a k ind o f o rnamental g ateway . I t c an b e a nything f rom a c ouple o f b rick-built , l ow p illars ( on w hich t he g ate h inged) t o a n i mposing w all w ith o ne o r t wo ( one l arge a nd o ne s mall) g ate-openings , c renellation a nd e ven m ake-believe t urrets . T he t rial e xcavations y ielded n o c lear e vidence f or s uch g ateways, b ut t hey m ay h ave b een p resent o n s ites D PL .23 a nd D PL .35 ( 42). T heir p resence i n t he l ate M iddle A ges i s a ttested b y s ome d ocumentary e vidence ( 43) a nd m ore r ecent e xamples a re k nown i n t he a rea ( 44). T hey h ave n o d efensive v alue w hatsoever , e specially a s t hey s tand i solated a nd w ere n ot c onnected t o o ther b uildings o r t o aw all . T hey c learly f unctioned a s ak ind o f s tatus s ymbol , i solating t he s ite f rom t he o uter w orld a nd s tressing t he i mportance o f b oth t he s ite a nd i ts o wner . A f inal f eature t o b e c onsidered i s t he b ank , w hich a ll t he s ites o f g roup A 4 h ave a nd w hich v ery o ccasionally i s f ound w ith o ther s ites a s w ell ( 45). G enerally , t his b ank i s n othing m ore t han a l ow s trip , n ot a t a ll o r o nly v ery s lightly r aised, n ormally c . 1 0 t o 1 5 m . w ide, w hich c ompletely o r p artly s urrounds t he s ettlement a rea(s) a nd t he m ain m oat. I t r uns a long t he o uter e dge o f t he l atter . O n t he o utside , i t i s a lways b ordered b y as econd m oat , w hich i s n ot s o w ide a s t he i nner o r m ain m oat a nd w hich s ometimes h as a n o pen U -shaped s ection ( 4 6 ). A ccording t o o ur d ata ( including r esults o btained b y a ugering), t his s econd m oat i s n ever v ery d eep ( up t o 1m . o r 1 .50 m . a t t he m aximum ), b ut i t d oes c ut i nto t he p eat , t hus e nsuring a c onstant w ater s upply ( at l east i n t he p olders). W hen t he Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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b ank i s r aised , t he s light e levation a ppears t o b e d ue t o s poil f rom t he m oats, b ut i n m ost c ases t he b ank s eems t o b e n othing m ore t han a s imple s trip o f l and b etween t wo m oats , r ather t han a s pecially b uilt s ite e lement . T here a re o nly a f ew c lues a s t o i ts s pecific p urpose , i f i t h ad a ny . T hese c lues s tem m ainly f rom t he d ocumentary a nd e specially f rom t he c artographic e vidence . T he b ank s eems t o h ave b een u sed f requently a s a n a rea w here o ne o r m ore r ows o f t rees w ere p lanted ; t hese t rees f ormed a k ind o f w ind-shield, s heltering t he b uildings. I n s ome c ases, t his p rocedure i s s till f ollowed t oday . B ut a s w e h ave n o e vidence d ating f rom t he M iddle A ges, i t i s n ot c ertain w hether t his e xplanation i s r eally t he c orrect o ne . A t a ny r ate , t he b ank d oes n ot a ppear t o h ave h ad a ny v alue a s a d efence. T he n ext p oint t o b e c onsidered i s t he c hronology o f t hese m oated s ites . B ut a s o nly f ew o f t hem h ave y et b een e xcavated a nd a s t he s urface f inds o nly p rovide r eliable e vidence a bout t he g eneral p eriod ( especially t he l ater o ccupation p hases), c aution i s r equired . S till, s ome e vidence i s a vailable , a nd a n i nitial s eries o f d ates h as b een p rovided b y t he t rial-excavations: S ite S ite S ite S ite S ite S ite S ite S ite
D PL .5 : D PL .4 : D PL .23: D PL .35: D PL .37: D PL .38 : D PL :31: V Z .6 :
c . 1 300 - 1 350 ( 47) c . 1 275 - 1 350 c . 1 325 - 1 375 ( 48) c . 1 350 - 1 425 ( 49) c . 1 300 - 1 350 c . 1 350 - 1 400 1 4th c entury ( 50) 1 4th c entury ( 51)
A ll t he o ther m oated s ites l isted i n o ur g azetteer ( 52) y ielded s urface m aterial d ating f rom t he l ate M iddle A ges , i .e . f rom c . 1 250 t o 1 500. A f air p ercentage o f t he s urface f inds ( especially r im f ragments) c ould b e m ore c losely d ated a nd p ointed t o t he l ate 1 3th a nd 1 4th c enturies . I nteresting i nformation w as g athered f rom t he s ites w hich h ave n ow b een p loughed u p ( seventy-four u nits) a nd w here b etter c hances o f g etting a t t he o lder m aterial e xisted; i n m ost c ases, f inds d ating f rom b efore 1 250 w ere a bsent a nd t his i s q uite c ompatible w ith w hat t he t rial e xcavations s uggested . N o l ess t han e ighty-three s ites y ielded o nly p ottery o f a l ate m edieval d ate . T he t wo m ajor c onclusions t o b e d rawn f rom a ll t his a re: f irst o f a ll , t he m oated s ites a ppear t o b e ap henomenon w hich w as t ypically l ate m edieval a nd m any i f n ot m ost o f t hem w ere n ew c reations f rom t hat t ime, a nd s econdly , i n m any c ases, t he s ites a pparently h ad a f airly s hort l ife-span . B ut s ome o f t he s ites c ame i nto b eing b efore 1 250, t he L eenhof t er W issche a mongst t hem ( 53). T he m ain q uestion h ere i s w hether o r n ot t hese s ites w ere m oated s ites b efore 1 250 , o r , i n o ther w ords, w hether o r n ot g enuine m oated s ites ( as d istinct f rom m attes) e xisted i n t he 1 2th o r e ven i n t he 1th c entury . T he L eenhof t er W issche w ith i ts 1th a nd 1 2th c entury o ccupation a nd m oat c ould p ossibly c onstitute a n a rgument i n f avour o f t his h ypothesis, b ut i t s hould b e n oted t hat a pparently t his s ite a lways w as v ery i mportant a nd m ay t herefore n ot b e r epresentative. A lso , i t b ecame a g enuine m oated s ite o nly a round 1 300, a fter i t h ad b een d eserted f or s everal
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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g enerations. T here i s i nsufficient e vidence t o i dentify t he L eenhof a s am otte a nd s ince t his a pproach d oes n ot p rovide u s w ith a c lear a nswer , t he p ossibility t hat t he L eenhof i s a t l east a p recursor o f t he m oated s ite m ust b e l eft o pen . T he o ther s ites w ith a n e arly - i .e . d ating f rom b efore 1 250 o r 1 200 - o ccupation d o n ot h elp u s t o e lucidate t he p roblem v ery m uch , e specially a s t hey h ave n ot y et b een s ubjected t o t rial e xcavation . I n o nly t hirty-five c ases - i .e. a pproximately 1 0% o f t he m oated s ites r ecorded u p t ill n ow - d id t he s urface f inds s uggest t he e xistence o f p re-13th c entury o ccupation . B ut o bviously s urface f inds c an o nly p rovide s uggestions a nd t he m ajor p roblem i s t hat a ll t hese s ites a lso y ielded s urface m aterial o f a l ate m edieval d ate. T his m eans t hat t he o ccupation - e ven i f i t s tarted r ather e arly - c ontinued r ight i nto t he 1 4th c entury a nd s ometimes l ater . I t i s q uite p ossible t hat t hese s ites b ecame m oated s ites d uring t he l ater m edieval p eriod a nd t hat t he e arlier o ccupation d id n ot h ave a m oat. I n f act , t here i s o nly o ne c ase ( apart f rom t he L eenhof t er W issche) w here t he o ccupation s tarted b efore 1 200 a nd w here t he a bsence o f p ost-1300 f inds s uggests a n e arly d ate f or t he m oat ( even t hough i t s till m ay b e p ost1 250): s ite D PL .51 ( Lampernisse). F rom a ll t his, w e c an d raw o nly t he f ollowing c onclusions. I t i s n ot i mpossible t hat g enuine m oated s ites o ccurred b efore t he 1 3th c entury b ut i t i s o bvious t hat a t t hat p articular t ime t hey m ust s till h ave b een a n ew a nd u ncommon f eature i n t he l andscape. T here i s n o e vidence w hatsoever f or m oats p re-dating t he 1th c entury . T he m ost i mportant c onclusion , h owever , i s t hat m oated s ites b ecame o bviously p opular o nly f rom t he ( late) 1 3th c entury o nwards. T his f its i n f airly w ell w ith t he d ata f rom e lsewhere i n N orth W estern E urope ( cf . i nfra). A nother q uestion o f a c hronological n ature c oncerns t he e nd o f t he p ractice o f b uilding o r c reating m oated s ites, o r , i n o ther w ords , t he e nd o f t he p ractice o f d igging a m oat a round o ne 's f arm . H ere , t he e vidence i s e ven l ess c onclusive . F rom t he d ocumentary a nd c artographic e vidence w e m ay s afely d educe t hat n o n ew m oats w ere c ut a fter t he e nd o f t he 1 8th o r t he e arly 1 9th c entury . T here a re a v ery s mall n umber o f s ites w ith a m oat w hich m ay h ave b een c ut i n t he 1 7th o r 1 8th c entury : t hey a re a k ind o f s mall m ansion o r c astle-like s ummerhouse b elonging t o t he l ower n obility , f or w hom a c astle w hatever i ts o riginal f unction a nd m eaning - c learly c ould b e c alled a c astle o nly w hen i t h ad s ome k ind o f am oat . M ost o f t hese s ites , w hich a lso o ccur e lsewhere i n F landers, a ppear t o b e n ew c reations , t hough s ome m ay b e l ocated o n o lder s ites. T hese ' mansions ' h ave n ot b een i ncluded i n o ur g azetteer o f m edieval m oated s ites i n t he t est z one. B ut t hough t heir n umbers ( only t hree e xamples a re k nown t o u s ) a re a lmost n egligible, t heir v ery e xistence s hows t hat t he i dea o f t he m oat w as n ot c ompetely l ost a fter t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges. W e h ave a lso i ndicated t hat t he t est z one c ontains m any m ore m oated s ites t han t hose l isted i n t he g azetteer ( cf . s upra). F rom t he a bsence o f m edieval s urface f inds, o ne s hould n ot n ecessarily c onclude t hat t he p ractice o f m oat b uilding w as s till a c ommon o ne i n t he 1 6th - 1 8th c enturies; m any o f t hese f arms s till e xist a nd t he c ircumstances s imply d id n ot a llow f or a t horough a rchaeological p rospection w ith r eliable r esults ( 54). T his w as t he c ase f or
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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c . 1 50 f arms w hich a t o ne t ime h ad o r s till h ave a m oat , a nd w hich m ay g o b ack t o t he l ate M iddle A ges . B ut , a part f rom t hese c onsiderations , a nd e xcept f or t he m ansions m entioned a bove, t he f act r emains t hat a s y et n o c onclusive e vidence p ointing o ne w ay o r a nother i s a vailable : m oats m ay h ave b een d ug a fter t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges, b ut t his c annot b e p roved . A t a ny r ate, o ne c an h ardly s peak o f m oats b eing a p ost-medieval p henomenon a nd t he g eneral i mpression i s t hat w hile p ost-medieval m oats p robably o ccur , t heir n umber i s n ot v ery h igh a nd e ssentially t he m oat r emains a l ate m edieval f eature. M any o f t he s ites a re d eserted a nd t his r aises q uestions a s t o t he d ates o f a nd r easons f or t he m ain d esertion m ovements . A t p resent , s ome 2 50 m edieval m oated s ites a re n o l onger o ccupied. O f t hese 2 50 , e ighty-three w ere d eserted b efore t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges , e ighty-eight i n t he p eriod f rom t he 1 6th t o t he 1 8th c entury , a nd s eventy-nine b etween t he e arly 1 9th c entury a nd t he e nd o f W orld W ar I . F rom t his , i t c an b e s een t hat d esertion o ccurred a t v arying t imes a nd t his i mplies t hat i t h appened f or v arious r easons. T wo i mportant p eaks a re t o b e d istinguished i n t he d esertion m ovement : t he l ate 1 4th a nd 1 5th c enturies ( with a pproximately a q uarter o f t he d esertions) a nd t he F irst W orld W ar ( with a pproximately o ne s ixth o f t he d esertions). I n t he c ase o f t he l atter p eak , t he e xplanation i s f airly o bvious w hen o ne c onsiders t hat o ur t est z one l ay i n t he f ront l ine a rea o f W orld W ar I . F or t he g roup o f s ites d eserted b etween t he t wo m ajor p eaks, n o s ingle r eason o ffers a n a dequate e xplanation . T he r eason m ay v ary f rom o ne s ite t o a nother : v iolent d estruction i n t imes o f p olitical , s ocial o r r eligious u nrest ( of w hich V eurne-Ambacht h ad a n a mple s hare), e conomic s etbacks, t he e xtinction o f a f amily , t he r eorganisation o f t he l and h oldings , t he c hange i n e xploitation m ethods a nd t echniques, e tc. T he r eason m ay e ven b e a c ompound o f t hese d ifferent f actors. A s f ar a s t he l ate m edieval d esertions a re c oncerned, o ne c annot e scape t he g eneral i mpression t hat t he l ate m edieval a grarian c risis m ay h ave p layed a n i mportant i f n ot p redominant p art , e ven i f i t i s n ot y et p ossible t o a ssess p recisely w hy e ach i ndividual s ite w as d eserted . T he a grarian c risis a s a p redominant f actor w ould a lso b e c ompatible w ith t he f act t hat t he s ites w ere n ot d eserted w ithin av ery s hort t ime s pan . A n umber o f s oil s cientists a nd h istorians h ave p roposed a n e xplanation - b y n ow c lassical - a ccording t o w hich t he m ain r eason f or t he d esertion o f a l arge n umber o f s ites i n t he O ld P olders w as o f a n e nvironmental n ature: t he i nversion o f t he m icro r elief m entioned e arlier ( 55) . T he g radual s inking o f t he c lay-on-peat s oils c aused t hem t o b ecome w etter a nd l ess s uitable f or o ccupation , a nd i n t he 1 0th - 1th c enturies t he s ites w ere r elocated o n t he s andy c reek-ridges. W ithin t his c ontext , t here i s a s uggestion t hat t he m oat i tself i s t o b e i nterpreted a s ad rainage d itch , w hich b ecame n ecessary p r k 3c isely b ecause o f t his i nversion o f t he m icro-relief . B ut i n v iew o f t he a rchaeological e vidence n ow a vailable, t his t heory c an n o l onger b e u pheld . F irst o f a ll , t he d eserted s ites r eferred t o a s p roof o f t his h ypothesis a re i n f act m oated s ites o f l ate m edieval d ate. T herefore , t he i nversion o f t he m icro-relief c ould n ot h ave c aused t he d esertion o f t hese s ites b efore t he 1 4th c entu ry , Moated i f Sites i t Ini s i ndeEurope. ed t o b e c onsidered t he d irect c ulprit. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval North-West E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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F urthermore, t here i s e vidence t hat t he s andy c reek-ridges w ere a lready i n f ull u se b y t he 1 2th c entury , ifnot e arlier ; m any o f t he v illage c entres , d ating f rom b efore t he 1 2th c entury , a re l ocated o n t hese r idges ( 56) a nd 1 2th c entury o ccupation h as b een f ound o n o thers ( 57). T hus i t w ould a ppear t hat t he i nversion o f t he m icror elief h ad a lready l argely b een c ompleted b y t he t ime t he m oated s ites m ade t heir a ppearance. T his i n t urn c an l ead t o b ut o ne c onclusion : m any o f t hese m oated s ites - o r a t l east m any o f t hese l ocated o n c lay-on-peat s oils - h ad i n f act b een d eliberately s ited o n t hese l ower a nd w etter a reas . T heir c reation o ccurred a t am oment w hen t he d emographic p ush o f t he 1 2th a nd e arly 1 3th c enturies m ade i tself f eit, ü ütn d irectly , t hrough t he e xpansion o f t he p opulation , a nd i ndirectly , t hrough t he g rowth o f t he c ities w ith t heir i ncreasing d emand f or a gricultural p roducts . M any o f t he n ew s ites w ere t hen c reated o n a reas w hich w ere m ore o r l ess m arginal a nd w ould o therwise n ever h ave b een i ntensively s ettled a nd e xploited . B ut p recisely t his l ocation o n m ore m arginal s oils m ade a l arge n umber o f t hem v ery v ulnerable i n t imes o f e conomic a nd a grarian c risis, a nd t his c risis p eriod a rrived w ith t he 1 4th c entury . T his e xplanatory m odel , w hich i s s till v ery m uch a h ypothetical o ne, n o l onger m akes u se o f t he i nversion o f t he m icro-relief a s t he m ain c ause f or t he d esertion o f m any s ites b ut r ather a s o ne o f t he c omplementary i ndirect r easons, w hich t ogether w ith o ther , m ore d irect, f actors r esulted i n t he c ollapse o f an umber o f f arms. I t a lso h as t he a dvantage o f e xplaining s atisfactorily a n umber o f o bservations. T hus, o f t he t hirty-two s ites l ocated o n c reek-ridges , s even w ere d eserted b efore t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges, p resumably i n t he 1 4th o r e arly 1 5th c entury . H ere t he i nversion o f t he m icro-relief c an h ardly b e i nvoked a s o ne o f t he m ajor c auses o f d esertion . T he s ame i s a lso v ery t rue f or t he f orty-one s ites i n t he M iddle P olders a nd i n t he ' woodland ', w hich w ere a lso d eserted b efore t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges. I t c ould b e o bjected t hat o f t he f orty-eight s ites l ocated o n t he c lay-on-peat s oils i n t he O ld P olders, n o l ess t han t hirty-five w ere d eserted b y 1 500, s uggesting a d irect l ink b etween t he i nversion p henomenon , t he s oil c onditions a nd t he d esertions, e specially w hen c ompared w ith t he s ituation o n t he c reek-ridges. B ut i n f act, t his i s q uite c ompatible w ith t he p roposed e xplanatory m odel : t he s ites o n c lay-on-peat s oils w ould i ndeed b e m ore v ulnerable i n t imes o f e conomic s lump t han t hose o n c reek-ridges . A ll t his l eads u s t o a nother a spect : t he d istribution p attern o f t he m oated s ites w ithin o ur t est z one. A s imple g lance a t s ome o f t he d istribution m aps ( 58) s hows u s t hree t hings: f irst o f a ll , m oated s ited a re e ssentially f eatures w hich o ccur a way f rom t he v illage c entres, e ven i f t hey a re s ometimes f ound w ithin t hese c entres ; s econd , t he d istribution p attern i s a t ypically ' open ' o ne, w ith a f airly l arge n umber o f i solated m oated s ites , s cattered t hroughout t he c ountryside; t hird , w ithin t he t est z one, t he p henomenon o f t he m oated s ite i s n ot r estricted t o o ne o r t wo o f t he p edogenetic l andscapes w hich a re f ound i n o ur t est z one. A s f ar a s t he f irst p oint i s c oncerned, i t s hould b e n oted t hat o ccasionally m oated s ites a re l ocated w ithin o r a t l east v ery n ear t he v illage c entre. I n L ampernisse , f or i nstance, t hree o f t hem Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. ( sites D PL .1, D PL .2 a nd D PL .3) l ie v ery c lose t o t he c hurch , a nd E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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a ccording t o t he c artographic e vidence , e ven t he c hurch i tself a nd t he a djoining p resbytery m ay e ach h ave b een a m oated s ite o r m ay h ave f ormed o ne t ogether . I n t he P leistocene a rea , m oated s ites a re f ound i n p ractically a ll t he v illage c entres , a t l east a ccording t o t he c artographic s ources, b ut t heir n umbers a re l imited t o o ne o r t wo u nits p er c entre. T he v illage c entres o f O ostkerke a nd S tuivekenskerke ( 59) i n t he M iddle p olders a lso h ave m oated s ites : i n t he c ase o f O ostkerke, t he o ld c hurch ( which d isappeared i n t he F irst W orld W ar ) w as l ocated o n a n A 2 s ite , w hich o riginally m ay h ave b een a m atte, w hile i n S tuivekenskerke, a n i mportant A 2 s ite l ies v ery c lose t o t he c hurch ( 60). I n Z oetenaaie, t he s ituation o f t he c hurch ( which d isappeared i n t he e arly 1 9th c entury) w as v ery s imilar t o t hat o f t he c hurch o f O ostkerke a s i t w as l ocated o n t he l ower p art o f w hat m ay h ave b een e ither a m otte o r a n A 2 s ite ( 61), b ut a s t his p articular v illage i n f act h ad n o r eal c entre a nd c onsisted o nly o f i solated d wellings, t he e xample i s s omewhat p eculiar . T he i mportant p oint , h owever , i s t hat 9 0 t o 9 5% o f t he m oated s ites a re f ound o utside t he v illage c entres, w here t he m ajority o f t he d wellings n ever s eem t o h ave h ad a m oat . T he c haracteristic ' open ' d istribution p attern , w hich i s n ot r estricted t o m oated s ites o nly , a lso r equires s ome e xplanation , a nd i t h as t o s ome e xtent t o b e c onsidered i n c onjunction w ith t he i mportant f act t hat n either t he m oated s ites n or t he ' open ' d istribution p attern a re r estricted t o o ne o r t wo o f t he p edogenetic l andscapes o ccurring w ithin t he t est z one . U p t o t he p resent t ime, w e w ere a ble t o i dentify 1 31 m edieval m oated s ites i n t he M iddle P olders, 1 27 i n t he O ld P olders a nd n inety-two i n t he P leistocene a rea . T hese n umbers s how t hat i n n one o f t he a reas w as t he m oated s ite a n u ncommon f eature. B ut w hen w e t ake i nto a ccount t he f act t hat t hese t hree l andscapes d o n ot m ake u p t hree e qual p arts o f o ur t est z one, a nd w hen w e c onsider t he p ercentages a nd t heir r elationship t o t he a vailable s urface , w e g et t he f ollowing p icture: N umber o f s ites ' Woodland ' O ld P olders M iddle P olders T otals
%o f t otal
a rea ( in h ectares)
%o f t est z one
h ectares p er s ite
9 2 1 27 1 31
c . 2 6 .3 c . 3 6.3 c . 3 7.4
2 .970
2 2
3 7
c . 3 9 .33
5 .535
4 1
c .
3 50
1 00
1 3 .500
1 0 0
4 .995
c . 3 2.28 4 2 .25
T he m ajor p oint h ere i s t hat i t c learly a ppears t hat t he m oated s ites a re m ore f requent i n t he P leistocene a rea o r ' woodland ' t han i n a ny p art o f t he p olders : t here a re m ore o f t hem t o e very h undred h ectares. T his o bservation i s r einforced b y t he f act t hat t he c artographic e vidence s hows t hat t he ' woodland ' c ontained m any m ore m oated s ites t han c ould b e i dentified a s m edieval , d ue t o s pecial c ircumstances c onnected w ith t he f ield s urvey , w hile a t t he s ame t ime 8 5 t o 9 0% o f t hose f ound i n t he p olders c ould b e s hown t o b e m edieval . T his i mplies t hat f urther r esearch i n t he P leistocene a rea s tands a v ery g ood c hance o f y ielding a g reatly i ncreased n umber o f m edieval m oated s ites , s omething w hich i s n ot t rue f or t he p olders. Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated North-West Europe. T he s econSites d Inp o int t o b e d educed E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 50
f rom t he t able i s t hat t here i s
P late 6 .2
P late 6 .3
S ite L 9 ( the I ephof) i n L o
S ite D PS 1 6 i n S tuivekenskerke
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 6 .4
S ite D N .5 i n N ieuwkapelle
P late 6 .5
S ite D K 1 9 i n K aaskerke
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
n o v ery s ubstantial d ifference b etween t he O ld P olders a nd t he M iddle P olders . A s t he m oated s ites d ate f rom a p eriod w hen t he p edogenetic f actors a pparently n o l onger e xerted a m ajor i nfluence a nd a s t he a gricultural , s ocial , h istorical , e conomic a nd g eneral o rganisational f actors d id n ot d iffer f rom t he O ld P olders t o t he M iddle P olders ( at l east d uring t he l ate M iddle A ges), t he s imilarity b etween t he t wo a reas s hould n ot s urprise u s t oo m uch. B oth o bservations w ould b e b etter u nderstood i f w e c ould e xplain t he n ature a nd t he o rigins o f t he ' open ' d istribution p attern i tself . A c areful s tudy o f t he p ossible l inks b etween t he d ifferent s oils a nd t he m oated s ites y ielded n o r esult w hatsoever: t here i s n o d irect c onnection b etween s andy , l oamy , o r c lay s oils o n t he o ne h and a nd t he p resence o f m oated s ites o n t he o ther ( 62). C onsidering t he d ifferences b etween t he w etter s oils a nd s oil a reas a nd t he d ryer o nes d id n ot h elp e ither : a f air n umber o f m oated s ites a re l ocated o n r ather w et s oils, b ut t he n umber o f e xceptions i s s o h igh t hat o ne c an n o l onger s peak o f ag eneral r ule n or e ven o f ag eneral t endency . T hus i n t he O ld P olders t hirty-two s ites l ie o n t he c reek-ridges, f orty-eight o n t he c lay-on-peat s oils , t wenty o n t he t ransition z one b etween t hese t wo , s eventeen o n P l eistocene s andy s oils c overed b y c lay s ediments a nd t he r emainder o n o ther - n ot n ecessarily w etter s oil-types; t he c lay-on-peat s oils c onstitute t he l arger p art o f t he O ld P olders i n o ur t est z one a nd t herefore i t i s n ot s urprising t hat t hey c ontained m ost o f t he s ites. F urthermore, t he d ifference b etween t he h igher a nd d ryer ' woodland ' a nd t he l ower a nd w etter p olders ( cf . s upra) a lready s uggested t hat t he m oated s ites a re n ot a f eature r estricted t o t he w etter a reas . A nother p ossible f actor, t he c ontour l ines w ithin o ur t est z one, d id n ot p rovide u s w ith a s atisfactory e xplanation e ither , w hich i s n ot v ery s urprising i n t his v ery f lat g eographical a rea . O bviously , w e h ad t o l ook i n a nother d irection , m ore p articularly t owards t hat o f t he l and-holdings a nd t heir i mportance a nd o rganisation . A t est r un i n L ampernisse s uggested t hat t he ' open ' d istribution p attern w as m ainly d ue t o t he f act t hat t he l arge m ajority o f t he s ites w as l ocated i n t he c orner o r i n t he c entre o f t he a gricultural u nit o r l and-unit ( e.g . a f ief ) b elonging t o t hem . I n o ther w ords, e ach s ite l ay o n i ts o wn f armland o r l and-unit . T his r esult w as o btained t hrough t he r econstruction o f t he l and-units ( and h oldings) a round A D 1 700 ( based o n a l andboek o f t he d ate) ( 63) a nd t hrough t he s ubsequent r egressive a nalysis o f t he o lder d ocumentary e vidence , w hich i n s ome c ases b rought u s b ack t o t he 1 5th c entury o r e ven e arlier ( 64 ). T his p rocedure s howed u s t hat t he s ituation h ad n ot c hanged v ery m uch s ince t he l ate M iddle A ges a nd t hat i ndeed t here e xisted a v ery d irect l ink b etween t he s tructure o f t he h oldings a nd t he e xistence o f t he s ites. C onversely , a reas w hich p roved t o b e l arge h oldings d uring t he l ate M iddle A ges a lso p roved t o b e c ompletely d evoid o f m oated s ites, e xcept f or t he f armstead t o w hich t he h olding b elonged ( 65). B oth t he f act t hat t he d istribution p attern i s v ery ' open ' a nd t he l ack o f ad irect l ink b etween t his p attern a nd t he e nvironmental f actors c ould t hus e asily b e e xplained: t he l ocation o f t he s ites d id n ot r eflect o ne o r m ore e nvironmental i mperatives , b ut r ather t he l and-holdings t hen i n e xistence . A lthough t his d etailed h istorical r esearch w as c arried t hrough o nly i n Medieval t he Moated c aseSiteso f L amper nisse, t here a re s ufficient i ndications t hat Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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t his e xplanation m ay b e t rue f or t he o ther p arts o f t he t est z one a s w ell . T his e vidence a lso f its i n v ery w ell w ith t he d ifferent d ensity o f m oated s ites i n t he ' woodland ' a s c ompared w ith t he p olders. H istorical r esearch h as s uggested t hat t he ' woodland' f arms a nd l and-holdings w ere g enerally s maller t han t hose i n t he p olders ( 66): f arms w ith a h olding o f c . 2 0 h a . a nd m ore a re c ommoner i n t he p olders t han i n t he ' woodland ', w hile i n t he l atter a rea , f arms w ith a h olding o f 5h a . t o 1 5 h a . a re v ery f requent a nd t hose w ith a h olding o f m ore t han 1 5 h a . c onstitute a m inority ( 67). F inally , w e h ave t o c onsider t he m eaning o f t hese m oated s ites, t o t ry a nd i nterpret t hem a s a n h istorical p henomenon a nd t o p lace t he d ata f rom o ur t est z one w ithin a b roader g eographical c ontext . A t t he p resent s tage o f t he s tudy , t hese c omments h ave o f n ecessity t o b e l imited t o r easonable h ypotheses w hich c an f orm t he b asis f or f urther r esearch . M uch m ore - a nd m ore d etailed - e xcavation a nd s tudy o f t he d ocumentary e vidence w ill b e n eeded b efore t hese h ypotheses c an d evelop i nto a ccepted m odels. T o u nderstand t he s ignificance o f t hese s ites, w e h ave t o t ry a nd e xplain t he m eaning a nd t he f unction o f t he m oat i tself , s ince t he l atter i s t he e lement w hich s ets t his t ype o f s ite a part . P revious w ork o n m oated s ites, b oth i n B elgium ( 68) a nd a broad ( 69), h as c ome u p w ith d ifferent e xplanations f or t he m oat , r anging f rom d efence , w ater s upply ( drinking w ater o r w ater a gainst f ires), d rainage , f ish a nd d uck p onds, t o i nterpreting t he m oat a s a s tatus s ymbol , t he l atter e xplanation b eing m ore a nd m ore g enerally a ccepted. T he e xplanation o f t he m oat a s ak ind o f r eservoir f or d rinking w ater ( 70) o r w ater t o e xtinguish p ossible f ires a nd/or a s a f ish o r d uck p ond d oes n ot s eem t o b e a n a dequate o ne : t he m oat c ould c ertainly b e u sed a s a f ish o r d uck p ond ( 71) a nd t he w ater w ould c ertainly c ome i n h andy i n c ase o f f ire, b ut i t i s h ardly l ikely t hat t his s ometimes v ery s ubstantial m oat - t he c onstruction o f w hich r equired a c ertain i nvestment - w ould h ave b een c reated f or t hose l imited a ims o nly . T he o ccasionally v ery i ntricate m oat p attern , t he e xistence o f A 2, A 3 a nd e ven A 5 s ites a nd t he f act t hat t he m oat b uilders w ere q uite c apable o f b uilding s imple r eservoirs , w ells a nd p onds a ll p lead a gainst s uch a n i nterpretation o f t he m oat . D rainage i s a nother e xplanation w hich c an e asily b e r ejected. A s o ur t est z one b elongs t o a l ow a nd f airly w et a rea, p art o f w hich - t he p olders - c ertainly r equired a n e ffective s ystem o f d efence a gainst s uperfluous w ater, d rainage q uickly b ecomes a v ery a ttractive e xplanation . B ut t he a rchaeological d ata - a nd e specially t he t ypical m oat s ection i n t he p olders ( cf . s upra) - a s w ell a s s ome o ther e vidence ( 72) c learly s how t hat t he m oat w as i ntended t o b e f illed w ith w ater . T he m edieval b uilders o bviously w ent t o s ome l engths t o a chieve t his g oal . T he s urface a rea o f t he m oat i s o ften a s l arge a s -o r e ven l arger t han t he s urface o f t he i sland ( 73) a nd t he m edieval m oat b uilders c ertainly h ad s ufficient e xperience w ith d rainage p roblems a nd d rainage m ethods t o k now t hat s uch a n e xtensive s ystem w as n ot r equired : i n o ur t est z one , t hey a re t he s ame m en w ho l ived a nd w orked i n t he p olders, w here d rainage w as n ecessary a nd a n a spect o f d aily l ife. E ven t he m ore i mportant d rainage d itches i n t he a rea s eldo m e xMoated ceed m . i n Europe. w idth a nd i t i s q uite p robable t hat t his Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Sites7 In North-West E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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s ituation h as n ot c hanged s ince t he M iddle A ges . F urthermore, t hese d itches d rained a t otal s urface w hich w as m uch l arger t han t hat o f t he i sland o f am oated s ite a nd a pparently p erformed q uite a dequately . A nother p oint i s t hat t he m oats a re c ommoner i n t he d ryer ' woodland ' t han i n t he p olders, a nd t hough e ven t he ' woodland ' r equired s ome d rainage f acilities , t hey w ere c ertainly l ess n ecessary t han i n t he p olders . D efence i n t he m ilitary s ense o f t he w ord i snot a cceptable a s a n e xplanation e ither . T he m oat c ould h ardly c onstitute a m ajor o bstacle t o a d etermined b and o f s oldiers, n ot t o m ention a s mall a rmy , a nd f urthermore o ther d efensive e lements, s uch f or i nstance a s a c urtain w all a ppear t o h ave b een c ompletely a bsent . N or d o t he l arge n umbers o f l u oated s ites i n t he a rea a nd t he f act t hat m any o f t hem b elonged t o s omewhat l ower c lasses t han t he n obility ( cf . i nfra) p lead i n f avour o f t he d efence t heory . T he l ate M iddle A ges k new a l ot o f s ocial u nrest - a nd t he V eurne-Ambacht h ad i ts s hare o f i t ( 74) w hile s mall b ands o f p lunderers a nd m ercenaries r oamed a bout t he c ountry ( 75), a nd t he m oat c ould h ave p rovided s ome p rotection . I t w ould a ppear , h owever , t hat q uite a n umber o f m oats a ntedate t hese d ifficulties a nd t herefore t hese d ifficulties c an h ardly e xplain t he r ise a nd e xpansion o f t he p henomenon o f t he m oat. B ut t he p roblem i s m ore c omplicated a nd i t s eems d ifficult t o e scape t he n otion t hat t he i dea o f d efence i s n ot c ompletely a bsent f rom t he m oat . F irst , t here i s a n i mportant p sychological e lement i nvolved i n t he p resence o f am oat : i ts s ets t he s ite a part f rom t he r est o f t he w orld , a nd e ven i f i t d oes n ot o ffer a c ast-iron p rotection a gainst l arger b ands, i t s till h elps a gainst v ery s mall g roups a nd f orms a k ind o f s afeguard , b oth p sychologically a nd p ractically . A nother p oint i s t hat t he m oats a round t he l ate m edieval s ites a re p robably t he s uccessors o f t he m oats a round t he e arlier m ottes ( cf . i nfra), a nd t he l atter d id h ave a m ainly d efensive f unction . T he i dea o f d efence w ould n ot b e c ompletely a bsent t hen f rom t he m ore r ecent m oats, w ithout t hese h aving a n e xplicitly d efensive c haracter . I f , h owever , w e a ccept t he m oat a s a s tatus-symbol - i f n eed b e w ith s ubsidiary a dvantages s uch a s a s afeguard , a r eservoir a nd e ven a f ish p ond - w e a lso h ave t o t ry t o s how w hether t here w ere a ny v alid r easons w hy t he m oat s hould a ttain s uch a n a ura o f i mportance . A nd q uite o bviously t here w ere. M ottes w ere a f airly w ell k nown f eature i n t he C ounty o f F landers b efore 1 200 ( 76), t hey h ad a m ilitary v alue a nd t hey b elonged t o t he h igher n obility . T he m oat w as o ne o f t heir c haracteristic f eatures t ogether w ith t he m ound , a t l east i n t hese l ow a reas. I t i s q uite p ossible t hen t hat t he m oat g radually c ame t o b e s een a s a f eature i ndicating w ealth , i mportance a nd e ven f reedom . T he c hronology i s n o o bstacle t o t his a ffiliation a s t he m ottes w ere o lder t han t he m oated s ites o r a t t he m ost c ontemporary w ith t he p recursors o f t he t ypical l ate m edieval m oated s ites . I t i s a lso t o b e n oted t hat e lsewhere i n N orth-western E urope, w e f ind m oated s ites i n t hose c ountries w here m ottes o ccurred a t a n e arlier d ate. A nother p oint o f i nterest i s t he f act t hat i n o ur t est z one - a nd t he s ame a ppears t o b e t rue f or o ther a reas i n F landers ( 77) - m any A 2 s ites a nd e specially t hose b elonging t o s ub -groMoated up A 2bIn North-West r emindEurope. o ne v ery s trongly o f t he t ypical m otte a nd Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Sites E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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( after t he 1 9th c entury c adastral
b ailey t ype o f p lan . T his i s p articularly t rue o f t hose A 2b s ites w hich h ad o r h ave o ne r aised i sland , w here t he l iving q uarters s tood , a nd o ne o r t wo l ower o nes w here t he o ther f arm b uildings w ere l ocated. W ith t he H of v an I zenberge ( site L EI.1) a nd t he T orreelen ( site B V .20), t his i s s till t he c ase , a nd t he L eenhof t er W issche i s a lso p robably a n e xample o f t his. T he i dea o f a s tatus s ymbol m ay p ossibly a lso b e u sed i n c onnection w ith t he r aised p latforms a nd p erhaps e ven w ith t he o rnamental g ateway s ome o f t he m oated s ites h ad . N either s eems t o h ave s erved a d irect p ractical p urpose. I n t he c ase o f t he r aised i slands , d efence c an b e r uled o ut a s t he e levation i s p ractically n egligible, a t l east f rom a s trictly m ilitary p oint o f v iew . P rot3ction a gainst f loods i s n ot a v ery s atisfactory e xplanation e ither , a s m any s ites w ith a r aised p latform l ie o n h igher c reek r idges i n t he O ld P olders a nd i n t he ' woodland '. F inally , a f air p ercentage o f t he r aised p latforms s eem t o b e t he r esult o f a s ingle b uilding o peration , r ather t han t he a ccumulation o f o lder l ayers. I n t he c ase o f t he o rnamental g ateways, w e h ave a lready p ointed o ut t hat t hese a re f airly s imple t hings w hich c ould n ot k eep o ut a ggressors ( cf . s upra). T hus, n ot o nly t he m oat b ut a lso s ome o ther f eatures c ould e asily b e e xplained b y t he i dea o f as tatus-symbol a nd t hey c ould a ll d escend f rom d ifferent e lements o f o ne c ommon p redecessor , t he m otte . B y t he l ate 1 3th a nd c ertainly b y t he 1 4th c entury , t he l atter h ad l osc i ts i mportance a s af ortification o f a ny m ilitary v alue , b ut i t m ost p robably s till r etained i ts a ura o f i mportance. T he c entral a uthority a nd e ven t he h igher n obility c ould t hen p robably a ccept i ts m ore o r l ess h armless s uccessor , t he m oated s ite , w ithout c onsidering i t t o b e a t hreat. A nd t his a utomatically l eads u s t o t he n ext q uestion , w ho b uilt t hese m oated s ites o r t o w hom d id t hey b elong? I n o ur t est z one, s ome p resumably b elonged t o t he ( lower ? ) n obility a nd m ay b e c onsidered s eignorial m oats . A mong e xamples o f t hese , w e m ay m ention t he c entral s ites a t Z oetenaaie ( site V Z .5) a nd O ostkerke ( site D P0 .4) b oth o f w hich m ay h ave d eveloped o ut o f o lder m ottes ( 78), a nd p resumably a lso t he T orreelen ( site B V .20); b ut a s t he p urely h istorical r esearch s till l argely r emains t o b e d one, i t i s n ot y et p ossible t o b e s ure a bout t he n umber a nd i mportance o f t he s eignorial m oats. M onastic g ranges a re c ertainly p resent: a mong t he b est e xamples , w e m ay m ention t he V iconiahof i n S tuivekenskerke ( site D PS .6), t he G root K ameroen ( Cambron a bbey) i n O ostkerke ( site D P0 .9)(79), t he R ood H uis ( Clairmarais a bbey) i n N ieuwkapelle ( site D N .19), s ite D PL .17 i n L ampernisse, a nd o thers. B ut a s i n t he c ase o f t he s eignorial m oats, i t i s s till t oo e arly t o a ssess c orrectly t heir r elative n umerical i mportance . D ocumentary r esearch f or L ampernisse a lso s howed t hat e ven t he s maller e cclesiastical i nstitutions, s uch a s t he v illage c hurches a nd c harity o rganisations c onnected w ith t hem h ad f arms w hich h ad a m oat . B ut a l arge m ajority o f t he s ites s eem t o h ave b een i n t he h ands o f f reeholders o r b een g iven a s f iefs t o f reemen , w ho h eld t he l and a nd b uilt a m oated f armstead o n i t . T his m ust h ave r equired s ome i nvestment , w hich i n t urn i ndicates t hat t hese p eople d id n ot b elong t o t he p oorest c lasses o f l ate m edieval s ociety . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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0 G )
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c d
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
A l ist o f p ossessions t o b e i mpounded a fter t he b attle a t C assel i n 1 328 - t he b attle w hich e nded t he p easants ' r evolt i n c oastal F landers - w as c ompiled b y t he F rench c rown ( 80) a nd t his d ocument i ndirectly c onfirms t he s uggestions m ade a bove. I n o ur t est z one, n o l ess t han s ixty-nine m anoirs w ere i mpounded a nd t he w ord m anoir c learly i ndicates s omething i n b etween a c astle a nd a s imple f arm . T he s heer n umber o f t hem f urthermore s uggests t hat m any m ust h ave b elonged t o t he l ower c lasses, t hough n ot t o t he p oorest o nes. A n a nalysis o f t he p ossessions i mpounded i n t he B rugse V rije s hows t hat i ndeed m ost o f t hose s lain a t C assel b elonged t o w hat h as b een t ermed ' the b etter s ocial c lass o f f ree f armers' ( 81). T his b rings u s t o a l ast i mportant p oint: t he d ensity o f t he m oated s ites i n o ur a rea a nd t he i mportance o f t he p henomenon . I t h as a lready b een s hown t hat m edieval m oated s ites a re v ery n umerous i ndeed i n o ur t est z one ( 82). B ut a pparently o ur t est z one i s n ot e xceptional i n t his , a t l east a s f ar a s F landers a nd N orthern F rance ( 83) a re c oncerned . N o c omplete m ap h as y et b een c ompiled f or t he w hole o f F landers , b ut i n 1 950 C . V . T refois p ublished a m ap l isting t he f arms w hich - a ccording t o t he m ore r ecent t opographical m aps - s till h ad a m oat a t t hat t ime ( 8 ) 4) ( see F ig . 6 .8). T he p resent a uthor d eems i t n ot i mpossible t hat t he g eneral t rends s hown i n t his m ap m ay b e m ore o r l ess c orrect , e ven i f t he a ctual n umber o f s ites c ertainly i s n ot ( 85). S ome l ocal s tudies h ave c onfirmed t hat m edieval mated s ites a re v ery n umerous i ndeed i n S outh W est F landers a nd i n t he v alleys o f t he L eie a nd S cheldt ( 86 ). O bviously , w e a re c onfronted h ere w ith a m ajor p henomenon . B ut w hen w e c ompare t his s ituation w ith w hat h as b een f ound i n o ther c ountries s uch a s E ngland ( 87), B urgundy ( 88 ), S outh E ast I reland ( 89) a nd H olland ( 90), i t a ppears t hat m oated s ites a re f ar l ess n umerous t han i n F landers . E ven a reas w here m oated s ites a re t hick o n t he g round , s uch a s S uffolk a nd E ssex ( 91), d o n ot s how t he s ame d ensity o f m oated s ites a s c ertain F lemish r egions. T he a vailable l iterature g ives t he i mpression a lso t hat t he m oated s ites i n t hese c ountries v ery o ften b elong t o a s omewhat h igher c lass a nd a re s ocially m ore i mportant t han t he m ajority o f t hose f ound i n F landers, o r , p ut i n a nother w ay , i t w ould s eem t hat m ost o f t he F lemish s ites a re m ore o r l ess w ell-to-do f arms, w hile o utside F landers, a m oated s ite i s m uch m ore a m anor o r m aison-forte . I n t he c ase o f E ngland , w here m oated s ites h ave b een m uch m ore i ntensively s tudied , a nother s mall b ut m aybe s ignificant d ifference w ith t he F lemish s ituation o ccurs : b y f ar t he l arger p art o f t he E nglish m oated s ites p robably d ate f rom t he p eriod 1 200-1325 ( 92), w hile a ccording t o o ur d ata t he b ulk o f t he F lemish m oats r ather b elongs t o t he p eriod 1 250 o r e ven 1 275 - 1 350/1375. T his c hronological d ifference c ould v ery w ell b e c ompatible w ith t he n umerical o ne a nd w ith o ur h ypotheses c oncerning t he s ocial d istribution o f t he m oats ; i n F landers, t he i dea o f t he m oat e xtends f urther d own t he s ocial s cale t han i n E ngland , a nd t he b ig i ncrease o f m oats c omes o nly w hen t he ' better s ocial c lass o f f ree f armers' i s r eached , ap rocess w hich t akes m ore t ime t o b e c ompleted . W hether o r n ot t his h ypothesis i s c orrect r emains t o b e p roven . G hent, D ecember 1 9 79 Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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N OTES 1 T his r esearch w as l argely f inanced b y t he G ent S ection o f t he B elgian C entre f or R üral H istory a nd t he p resent a uthor w ishes t o e xpress h is f eelings o f g ratitude t owards t he d irector o f t he S ection , P rof . D r A . V erhulst ( Gent U niversity ), f or h is h elp a nd s upport . T he r esearch e ventually l ed t o t he p resent a uthor 's d octoral d issertation ( F . V erhaeghe , 1 977), t he r esults o f w hich ( including a g azetteer o f s ites) w ill b e p ublished i n t he B .A .R . I nternational S eries . 2 W ritten s ources h ad b een u sed o ccasionally t o i dentify t he s ite o f m edieval r emains e .g . i n t he c ase o f t he l ost m edieval v illage o f R oeselare ( St M argriete) ( A . V an D oorselaer a nd F . V erhaeghe, 1 974 , p p . 1 0-15 a nd A . V erhulst , 1 967). B ut a s ystematic a nd c ritical s urvey o f t he v alue o f t hese s ources t o m edieval a rchaeology r emained - a nd t o a l arge e xtent s till r emains - t o b e w orked o ut. 3 A tp resent p art o f t he l arger c ommunity o f D iksmuide. 4 I n 1 957 , at rial e xcavation w as c arried o ut o n o ne o f t he m oated s ites i n L ampernisse. S ee I . S collar , F . V erhaeghe a nd A . G autier , 1 970 . 5 T he L eenhof t er W issche ( site D PL .5) w as t he m ajor t est s ite , s ee F ig . 6 .5 N o . 1 ). T he o ther s ites a re: s ite D PL .23 e xcavated i n 1 957 ( see n ote 4 a nd F ig . 6 .5 N o . 4 ), t he s ites D PL .4 ( see F ig . 6 .5, N o . 3 ) , D PL .31, D PL .35 , D PL .37 a nd D PL .38 ( trial e xcavations i n 1 974) a nd s ite V Z.6 ( in Z oetenaaie, V eurne) ( trial e xcavation c arried o ut i n 1 979 b y J . S anders u nder t he s upervision o f t he p resent a uthor) ( see J . S anders , 1 979, p p . 1 20-127). T he s ite n umbers a re t hose w hich w ere u sed i n m y d octoral d issertation . T he d etailed e xcavation r eports w ill b e p ublished i n t he D issertationes A rchaeologicae G andenses ( Gent) ( F . V erhaeghe , 1 977, A ppendix I I). 6 T he v illages a re t hose w hich e xisted b efore t he r egrouping o f t he c ommunities i n 1 969-1976. G enerally , t heir t erritories h ad n ot o r o nly v ery s lightly - c hanged s ince t he e nd o f t he M iddle A ges. T he v illages a re: K aaskerke , S tuivekenskerke , P ervijze, O ostkerke, N ieuwkapelle , O udekapelle , S int-JacobsKapelle , L o, L ampernisse , Z oetenaaie , E ggerwaartskapelle, A lveringem , O eren , S int-Rijkers, G ijverinkhove , I zenberge , V inkem a nd W ulveringem . ( See a lso F ig . 6 .2).
7 T he f ollowing i nformation h as b een g athered m ainly f rom :
G . J onck a nd F . R . M oormann , 1 962; F . R . M oormann , 1 951; A . V erhulst, 1 964 , p p . 1 3-27 a nd 4 8-51; A . V erhulst , 1 965, p p . 1 9-30 ; G . T ' J onck , 1 959; R . T avernier a nd J . A meryckx , 1 970 ; F . R . M oormann , 1 951a ; J . A meryckx , 1 958 a nd J . A meryckx, 1 959.
8 It hank D r P . V andewalle f or t his i nformation .
9 T he f ew t rees w hich c an n ow b e s een i n t he p olders a re a l ate Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown.p Medieval Moated Sites Europe. h enom enon . In North-West C harac teristically E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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t hey f orm l ines b ordering r oads
a nd c anals , o r a re c lustered ( frequently i n r ows) a round s ome o f t he f armsteads , w here t hey s hield t he b uildings f rom t he w ind. 1 0
T he v illage c entres w ere n ot t aken i nto a ccount d uring t he a rchaeological s urveys a s t oo m any d isturbances a s w ell a s t he p resent d ay o ccupation m ade a t horough a nd r eliable a rchaeological i nvestigation i mpossible a t t his s tage. T hese v illage c entres, h owever , a re a lso o f m edieval d ate a nd s ome o f t hem e ven h ad m oated s ites , a ccording t o t he d ocuments a nd m aps. T hey w ill f orm t he s ubject o f f urther s tudy .
1
T his w as t he c ase w ith m any o f t he p resent d ay f arms . P ossible c ontamination w ith o lder m aterial , u sed t o f ill i n t he m oat a nd c oming f rom o lder s ites, a nd/or t he f act t hat t he w hole s ite ( sometimes i ncluding t he m oat) h ad b een c ompletely b uilt o ver, m ade i t i mpossible t o p roceed w ith a r eliable a rchaeological s urface i nvestigation . I n o ne c ase ( in A lveringem ), t wo d eserted m oated s ites w ere b eing u sed a s ac ommunal r ubbish-dump a nd a rchaeological p rospection w as n ot p ossible. I n o ther c ases, n o s urface f inds - e xcept f or s ome s mall u ndatable b rick f ragments - c ould y et b e r etrieved.
1 2
T hus , t hey c onform t o t he d efinition o f m oated s ites p roposed b y C . C . T aylor ( 1978 , p . 5 ), e specially a s t he o nes w e a re i nterested i n h ere h ad a m oat w hich w as i ntended t o b e w et a nd a s t hey g enerally d ate f rom t he l ate M iddle A ges ( cf . i nfra ).
1 3
R .C .H .M ., W est C ambridgeshire, p p . l xi-lxiv .
1 4
H . E . J . L e P atourel ,
1 5
I bid.
1 6
1 973 , p p .
3 -5.
A f air e xample o f t his i s t he R ood H uis ( Red H ouse) ( site D N .19) i n N ieuwkapelle , a n A 3 s ite w ith a v ery i mportant s quare i sland , t he s urface o f w hich a mounts t o n o l ess t han c . 1 3 .200 s q . m . T he s ite s till h ouses a n i mportant f arm w hich a t o ne t ime b elonged ' t o t he a bbey o f C lairmarais , a n i mportant d aughter h ouse o f t he f amous D uinen a bbey a t K oksijde .
1 7
T hus, a s imple s quare A l s ite i n L ampernisse ( DPL .14) i s r aised, w hile t he R ood H uis ( site D N .19), t he G rote F okkewerf ( site A L.1), a nd s ome o thers a re n ot .
1 8
A mong t he g ood e xamples o f A 2 bs ites w ith a r aised s ettlement a rea , w e m ay m ention t he L eenhof t er W issche ( site D PL .5), t he H of v an I zenberge ( site L EI.1) a nd t he - n ow l evelled - s ite o f t he m anor(?) a nd t he c hurch o f Z oetenaaie ( site U Z .3). T he T orreelen ( site B V .20; s ee F ig . 6 .7) ,an i mportant s ite o f g roup A 5 i n V inkem a lso h as o ne r aised p latform , w here t he r esidential b uildings a re l ocated .
1 9
i .e. s ites A L .28 a nd A L .29, B U .15 a nd B V .16, L EG .6 a nd L EG .7, D P .8 ( which i s n ot a m oated s ite) a nd D P .9, D PL .45 a nd D PL.46, a nd D PL .59 a nd D PL .60. S ites D N .12 , D N .13 a nd D N .14 m ay e ven f orm o ne A 2 s ite a nd o ne A l s ite , o r a n e xceptional A S c ase .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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2 0
S ite D PL .51 i n L ampernisse . I t i s t o b e n oted t hat t his s ite a ppears t o b e r ather e arly i n d ate a nd t hat i t w as p robably d eserted b y t he e nd o f t he 1 3th c entury . A nother s ite, A L .25 a lso h as a c ircular s hape , b ut i t b elongs t o g roup A 3 a nd i n f act , t his p articular s ite, w hich a t o ne t ime w as c alled t he C astle o f S t O mer , c onstitutes a s pecial c ase; i t a ppears t o b e r ather e arly a nd c ertainly i s o f p articular i mportance. I t s till h as t o b e s tudied i n d etail . A s imilar c ase , a lso i n A lveringhem , w as s ubjected t o t rial e xcavation , b ut c ould n ot b e d ated ( J . D e M eulemeester , 1 977). C oncerning t hese s ites i n A lveringem , s ee a lso A . V erhoeve 1 964.
2 1
M ost o f t he w idth m easurements w e h ave a t t he m oment, w ere t aken f rom u nexcavated s ites. T he t rial e xcavations i n L ampernisse s howed u s t hat t he o riginal w idth o f t he m oat w as a lways 2 -3 m . g reater t han t he m aximum w idth r ecognizable b efore e xcavation .
2 2
E .g . t he L eenhof t er W issche ( site D PL .5), w hich h ad a m oat w ith aw idth o f c . 2 3 m ., a nd t he H of v an I zenberge ( site L EI.1) w here t he s till e xisting m oat i s c . 2 0 m . w ide a t p resent w ater l evel ( observation i n D ecember 1 973). S ee F . V erhaeghe, 1 977 , p p . 17-198 .
2 3
I n t he c ase o f t he L eenhof t er W issche , t rial e xcavation p roved t he m oat t o b e u p t o 3 .50 m . d eep . B ut t his s ite i s e xceptional a s f ar a s i ts s ize a nd i mportance a re c oncerned ( see F ig . 6 .5, N o . 1 ). S ee F . V erhaeghe , 1 977 , A ppendix I I, p p . 4 27-469.
2 4
A v ery r ecent e xcavation c ampaign o n o ne o f t he s ites i n G ijverinkhove ( 1979), i n t he P leistocene a rea, s howed t he m oat t o h ave a d ifferent, o pen U -shaped s ection a nd i t i s n ot i mpossible t hat t his m ay b e t he c ase f or a ll s ites i n t he ' woodland'. W e t hank t he e xcavators , m embers o f t he W .A .V .O . ( Veurne), a nd M r J . D e M eulemeester ( Brussels) f or t his i nformation . I f t his p articular d ifference b etween t he p olders a nd o ther a reas s hould p rove t o b e t he g eneral r ule - w hich t he p resent a uthor f eels m ight v ery w ell b e t he c ase - t he e xplanation i s t o b e l ooked f or i n t he d ifferent s oil s tructures a nd s oil c omponents. I t w ouldnotaffect o ur c onclusions a s t o t he f unction o f t he m oat.
2 5
T he t ext m ost p robably c oncerns s ite D PL .40 C .0 .0 . A rchives B rugge , A rchives o f S t J ohn 's H ospital , c harter N o . 4 72 : ' ... e nde w aerd s o d at d e b esten b arste h adden v an w atere d ie g aen s ullen u pt v oers. l and z o s ouden d ie b este d ie g aen s ullen u pt v orseide l and m ueghen g aen d rinken i nde w algracht ( 'and i f i t b e t hat t he a nimals, w hich w ill u se t he a forementioned l and , h ave a l ack o f w ater , t hen t he a nimals , w hich w ill u se t he a forementioned l and , w ill b e a llowed t o d rink f rom t he m oat').
2 6
S ite D PL .4 . S ee F ig 6 .5, N o . 3 , F . V erhaeghe , 1 977 , A ppendix I I , p p . 1 87-223 . T he s ite w as s ubjected t o t rial e xcavation .
2 7
I n o ne s ingle c ase , t he V iconiahof ( site D PS .6, f ormerly a g range o f t he a bbey o f V icogne a nd l ocated i n S tuivekenskerke), t he ettle ment ea i sEurope. h eart-shaped . T he s ite b elongs t o g roup A 3 , Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. s Medieval Moated Sites a Inr North-West E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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b ut i s e xceptional , b oth b ecause o f i ts s hape a nd b ecause o f i ts s ize . T he p lan o f s ite D PS .6 i s r eproduced i n F ig . 6 .4 b ., g roup A 3. 2 8
T rial e xcavation o n s ite D PL .38 . A ppendix I I, p p . 9 -46.
S ee F . V erhaeghe ,
1 977,
2 9
T his n umber m ay b e h igher , a lthough p robably n ot c onsiderably s o. I n t he c ase o f s ite D PL .35, w here a t rial e xcavation w as c arried o ut ( F . V erhaeghe , 1 977, p p . 16-18 )4 ), o ne o f t he p latforms w as i ntentionally r aised ( elevation c . 1 .50 m .). T he s imple s urface i nvestigation g ave n o i ndication o f t his. W hat h ad h appened w as t hat t he w eight o f t he r aisedp iatform h ad c onsiderably c ompressed ' u he u nderlying p eat a nd h ad s unk t o a l evel a pproximately e qual t o t hat o f t he s urrounding f ields . I t i s n ot i mpossible t hat t he s ame p henomenon m ay h ave o ccurred o n o ther s ites i n t he p olders.
3 0
E .g . t he L eenhof t er W issche w hich w as o riginally c . 4m . h igh .
3 1
A s i n t he c ase o f t he L eenhof t er W issche .
3 2
A s i n t he c ase o f t he H of v an I zenberge .
3 3
A s i n t he c ase o f t he L eenhof t er W issche, w here t he ' residential i sland ' p roved t o c onsist o f o ccupation l ayers(9 th/10th c entury 1 4th c entury) e ach s eparated f rom t he o ther b y as terile s poil l ayer , w hich r epresents b oth a c hronological b reak i n t he o ccupation a nd a n i ntentional r aising o f t he p latform ( F . V erhaeghe , 1 977, A ppendix I I).
3 4
A s i n t he c ase o f t he s ite D PL .4, w here t he p latform w as i ntentionally r aised a t t he c onstruction o f t he s ite.
3 5
L . G illiodts-van S everen , C out . F um es,
3 6
S ee F . V erhaeghe, 1 977, A ppendix I I , p p . 3 36-345 a nd 5 10 e t s eqq . T he s mall b rick b uilding o n t he ' residential ' p latform w as a pproximately s quare c . 5m . x c . 5 .30 m . I t h ad a b rick h earth a nd p resumably a t iled r oof . I t w as l ocated s lightly o ff-centre.
3 7
S ite D PL .23 i n L ampernisse: s ee I . S collar , F . V erhaeghe a nd A . G autier , 1 970, p . 1 4 a nd F ig . 6 . S everal r emains o f b rick f oundations s uggest t he p resence o f a n o rnamental g ateway a nd t he e xistence o f b rick w alls , s trengthening t he c auseway .
3 8
T he L eenhof t er W issche ( site D PL .5) a nd s ite D PL .35, a lso i n L ampernisse .
3 9
F . V erhaeghe ,
4 0
I bid , p p .
4 1
E xamples o f t hese a re s ites D P0 .8 ( the B ien A cquis f arm i n O udekapelle), A L0 .3 ( in O eren), B 1.20 ( the T orreelen i n V inkem ), a nd D PS .6 ( the V iconiahof i n S tuivekenskerke).
1 896-1897, V ol . I I, p .
1 68 .
1 977 , A ppendix I I , p p . 4 43 e t s eqq .
1 52-155.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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4 2
S ee n otes 3 7 a nd 4 0.
4 3
a ' steenin p ortael ' o r s tone g ate i s m entioned i n a d ocument w hich d ates f rom 1 440-1450 a nd p resumably c oncerns s ite D PL .36 ( State A rchives B rugge, A rchieven v an K erkfabrieken , L ampernisse , N r . 4 ( tweede r eeks), f0 1 22 0 ) .
4 4
A 1 7th c entury e xample s urvived a t t he e ntrance o f t he R ood H uis ( see n ote 1 6). O ther e xamples e xist e lsewhere i n F landers ; s ee C . V . T refois, 1 950 , F igs. 1 47-148 a nd R . B orremans , 1 964, F ig . 7 . S ince t he 1 960s , t hese o rnamental g ateways h ave r egained t heir p opularity a nd a n umber o f n ew o nes h ave b een b uilt .
4 5
T he L eenhof t er W issche, a s ite b elonging t o s ub-group A 2 b , h as a l ow o uter b ank w hich r uns a long t he o uter e dge o f t he m ain m oat a nd w hich c ompletely s urrounds t he s ite.
4 6
T his w as t he c ase w ith t he o uter m oat o f t he L eenhof t er W issche, t he o nly o ne w hich h as y et b een s ubjected t o t rial e xcavation .
4 7
T he L eenhof t er W issche w as o ccupied f rom t he 9 th/10th c entury u ntil t he m iddle o f t he 1 4th c entury . I t h ad a m oat d uring t he 1th c entury , a nd d uring t he 1 2th c entury t his m oat h ad b ecome f ar l ess i mportant i n s ize , a lthough i t d id n ot d isappear c ompletely . D uring t hese p hases t he s ite h ad o nly o ne s ettlement a rea . T he i mportant p oint h ere i s t hat t he s ite w as d eserted a t t he e nd o f t he 1 2th o r i n t he e arly 1 3th c entury a nd w as u sed a gain o nly f rom c . 1 300 o nwards . A round t hat d ate, t he s ite w as c ompletely r eorganised : i t w as s plit i nto t wo ' islands ', t he r esidential o ne b eing s maller t han i ts p redecessors a nd t he o ther ( and l ower) o ne b eing c onsiderably e xtended i n a s outhe asterly d irection ; a n i mportant m oat ( cf . n ote 2 2) w as d ug a nd o nly t he n orthern p art o f i t a ppears t o h ave f ollowed t he c ourse o f t he o lder m oat; a l ow b ank a nd a s econd m oat w ere b uilt a round t he c omplex . S o i n f act , t he L eenhof t er W issche b ecame a r eal m oated s ite o nly a round 1 300 , a nd e ven i f w e r egard t he e arlier p redecessors a s m oated s ites, i ts p resent l ayout ( sub-group A 2 b ) i s n evertheless l ate m edieval . S ee a lso F . V erhaeghe, 1 977 , A ppendix I I, p p. 2 27 e t s eqq .
4 8
I . S collar , F . V erhaeghe a nd A . G autier ,
4 9
T he t erminal d ate w as c onfirmed b oth b y t he p ottery a nd b y ac oin o f J ohn t he F earless , d uke o f B urgundy , w hich w ent o ut o f u se a fter c . 1 430-1433. S ee F . V erhaeghe , 1 977, A ppendix I , p p . 8 89-991.
5 0
O n t his p articular s ite o nly o ne v ery s mall t rial t rench w as c ut a nd t he a mount o f p ottery r etrieved w as t oo s mall t o a llow f or c lose d ating , b ut i t w as s ufficiently i ndicative t o p oint t o t he 1 4th c entury . S ee F . V erhaeghe , 1 977, A ppendix I I, p p . 9 1-109.
5 1
S ee J . S anders , 1 979, p p . a pply h ere a s w ell .
1 20-127.
5 2 Medieval F . V eMoated rhaeSites ghe 1 977, A ppendix Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. In, North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
I II.
1 61 4
1 970.
T he r emarks m ade i n n ote 5 0
S ee a lso n ote 1 .
5 3
C f . n ote 4 7.
5 4
C f . n ote 1.
5 5
S ee f or i nstance A . V erhulst ,
1 964, p p . 4 9-50 a nd R . T avernier a nd
J . A meryckx , 1 970, p p . 2 5-27. 5 6
T his i s t he c ase f or p art o f t he c entre o f L ampernisse ( see a lso F ig . 6 .5).
5 7
E .g . s ite D PL .22 i n L ampernisse ( see F ig . 6 .5). T his s ite - w hich h as n o m oat - i s l ocated o n t he s andy c reek-ridge w hich r uns f rom t he c hurch o f L ampernisse t o t he L eenhof t er W issche. A long t his o reek-ridge , t he o ld W isschestraatje ( Wissche s treet) w as b uilt . T his s treet a pparently a lways f ormed t he l ink b etween t he L eenhof t er W issche a nd t he c hurch o f L ampernisse . T his s treet , t he L eenhof a nd s ite D PL .22 a lready e xisted i n t he 1 2th c entury a nd e ven b efore t hat . T his h as b een p roved b y e xcavation i n t he c ase o f t he s ites; i n t he c ase o f t he s treet , i t i s s uggested b y t he c ircumstantial e vidence .
5 8
T he m aps w ill b e i ncluded i n t he f orthcoming B .A .R. I nternational S eries ( volume ( cf . n ote 1 ); F ig . 6 .5 g ives a n i mpression o f t he d istribution p attern .
5 9
T he l atter i s o ne o f t he v ery s carce e xamples o f aF lemish s hrunken v illage , b ut i t i s o f v ery r ecent d ate . T he c hurch w as d estroyed d uring t he F irst W orld W ar , t ogether w ith t he s urrounding h ouses a nd a n earby f arm . O nly p art o f t he c hurch w as r ebuilt a fterwards, t o s erve a s aw ar m emorial ; t he f arm a nd a f ew h ouses w ere a lso r ebuilt . B ut t he n ew v illage c entre w ith t he c hurch w as p laced a pproximately 2 k m . n orth o f t he o ld v illage s ite.
6 0
S ites D P0 .4 ( Oostkerke)
6 1
C f . n ote 7 8 .
6 2
S ee F . V erhaeghe ,
6 3
S tate A rchives B rugge, C ommunal A rchives L ampernisse , N o . ( provisional n umber ).
6 4
E .g . i n t he c ase o f f iefs , s uch a s t he l and h olding b elonging t o
( cf . n ote 7 8) a nd D PS .9 ( Stuivekenskerke).
1 977 , p p . 3 21 e t s eqq . 4
s ite D PL .23 . 6 5
C f . n ote 7 9 .
6 6
S ee J . M ertens , 1 970 f or t he a rea a round B rugge a nd P . V andewalle, 1 975 , f or V inkem , o ne o f t he v illages o f o ur t est z ones .
6 7
S ee P . V andewalle , 1 975 , p . 1 35 . T he d ata c oncern t he 1 6th c entury b ut t hey p robably r eflect a s ituation w hich e xisted s ince t he l ate M iddle A ges .
6 8
C f . n ote 8 6 .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 65
6 9
C f . n otes 8 3 a nd 8 7 -9 2.
7 0
I t s hould b e n oted t hat i n t he p olders , t he w ater i n t he m oat c learly c ame f rom t he p eat a nd t hat t his p eat w ater i s n ot s uitable f or d rinking .
7 1
I n t he m oat o f L eenhof t er W issche, a c ouple o f n et w eights w ere f ound d uring t he e xcavations; t hey i ndicate t hat t he m oat w as a t l east o ccasionally u sed a s a f ish p ond .
7 2
C f . n ote 2 5.
7 3
I n t he c ase o f t he a verage m oated s ite, t he s ettlement a rea f requently h as a s urface o f c . 4 0 m . b y 4 0 m . o r 5 0 m ., i .e. c . 1 ,600 t o 2 ,000 s q . m . W hen s uch a p latform i s c ompletely s urrounded b y am oat w ith a n a verage w idth o f c . 1 0 m ., t he m oat h as a s urface o f c . 2 ,000 t o 2 ,200 s q . m . F rom t his e xample , w hich i s b ased o n t he a verage m oated s ite, o ne c an d educe t he r elative i mportance o f t he m oat .
7 4
S uch a s f or i nstance t he i mportant p easants ' r evolt o f c oastal F landers i n 1 323-1328 , i n w hich a f air n umber o f f armers f rom t he V eurne-Ambacht w ere a ctive. S ee a lso H . P irenne, 1 900, i ntroduction ( see a lso n ote 8 0).
7 5
S ee E . T hoen ,
7 6
A n e xtensive l ist a nd d istribution m ap o f t he m attes i n F landers h as n ot y et b een c ompiled , b ut a n umber o f e xcavations a nd s urveys h ave a lready b een c arried t hrough . S ee f or i nstance J . D e M eulemeester , 1 978 , a nd i dem , 1 978a.
7 7
A t l east i f w e m ay b elieve t he o lder a nd m ore r ecent c artographic e vidence. An umber o f A 2 s ites f igure o n t he 1 6th c entury m ap o f t he B rugge a rea , p ainted b y P . P ourbus. A nother s eries w as f ound i n t he C omines - W arneton a rea i n S outh W est F landers a nd i s p resently b eing s tudied; w e t hank M . J . B ourgeois ( Gent U niversity) f or t his i nformation . M any o f t he l ocal h istories a nd l ocal s tudies m entioned i n n ote 8 6 i ndicate t he p resence o f A 2 s ites i n o ther a reas o f F landers a s w ell.
1 978 , p p .
3 70 e t . s eqq .
7 8
S ite V Z .6 ( Zoetenaaie), w here a n a s y et u npublished e xcavation w as c arried o ut o n t he o riginally r aised a nd n ow l evelled m ain p latform a nd a nother o n t he l ower p latform w here t he c hurch s tood ; s ee L . D evliegher , 1 959, J . M ertens , 1 960 a nd 1 960a , a nd A . L ava , 1 959 a nd 1 961. I n t he c ase o f O ostkerke, s ite D P0 .4, t he n ow l evelled m ain p latform w as a r aised o ne , w hile t he l ower p latform o riginally h oused t he c hurch a nd s till h ouses t he c emetery . T here i s e vidence f or 1 2th c entury o ccupation . T he v illage a nd p arish o f O ostkerke o riginally f ormed p art o f L ampernisse, b ut i n t he e arly 1 3th c entury O ostkerke w as s eparated f romLampernisse;the c hapel t hen i n e xistence, w hich b elonged t o t he V alcraven f amily , b ecame t he n ew p arish c hurch a nd t he n ew p arish w as k nown f or s ome t ime a s V alcravenskinderkerke ( church o f t he c hildren o f V alcraven). I t i s q uite p ossible t hat s ite D P 0 .4 w a s o r i g i n a l l y a m o t t e a n d b a i l e y t y p e o f s i t e w i t h t he Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 66
r esidential p art o n t he n ow d eserted a nd l evelled r aised p latform a nd a c astle c hapel o n t he ' o ther o ne .
7 9
T his i s t he g rangia w hich M esen a bbey s old t o C ambron a bbey i n t he 1 2th c entury . T he 3 00 g emeten o f l and w hich b elonged t o t his g range l ay i n L ampernisse a nd r emained i n t he h ands o f C ambron a bbey t hroughout t he M iddle A ges; n o o ther m edieval s ite o ccurs o n t hese 3 00 g emeten . S ee F . V erhaeghe , 1 977 , A ppendix I II , p p .
1 4881490 .
8 0
T he l ist w as p ublished b y H . P irenne , 1 900, w ith a n i ntroductory n ote c oncerning t he h istory o f t he r evolt .
8 1
J . M ertens ,
8 2
S ee t he t able o n p .
8 3
A s f ar a s N orthern F rance i s c oncerned , i t s hould b e n oted t hat p art o f i t o riginally b elonged i n t he m edieval c ounty o f F landers a nd t hat i t w as F lemish , b oth c ulturally a nd p olitically . G . L efranc, 1 976, h as s tudied t he m ottes ( mottes f eödales) i n p art o f N orthern F rance , b ut i t i s q uite p robable t hat a t l east s ome o f t he s ites m entioned i n t his p ublication a re n ot m ottes b ut
1 970 . 1 50 .
r ather m oated s ites . I n t his r espect , i t s hould a lso b e n oted t hat m uch o f t he d ocumentary e vidence c oncerning t his a rea i s w ritten i n F lemish a nd t hat t he d ocuments f requently r efer t o m otes , w hich c an m ean e ither a m otte o r am oated s ite. A t a ny r ate, t he a rea c oncerned b y G . L efranc 's s tudy p ractically a djoins o ur t est z one , a nd a s t he g eographical , p olitical a nd s ocio-economical c ircumstances a re n ot v ery d ifferent, i t i s q uite r easonable t o s uppose t hat t he m oated s ites c ontinue a s a m ajor f eature h ere.
8 4
C . V . T refois, 1 950 , p p . 1 54-155 a nd F ig . 1 45. l ess c omplete m ap w as p ublished b y R . B orremans ,
A c ompara Me b ut 1 964, F ig . 1.
8 5
A s imple c omparison b etween C . V . T refois ' m ap a nd t he d istribution m ap o f t he m edieval m oated s ites i n o ur t est z one w ith i ts 3 50 u nits m akes t his o bvious.
8 6
Am ore c omplete b ibliography w ill b e i ncluded i n t he f orthcoming B .A .R . I nternational S eries v olume , b ut a mong t he m ost i mportant s tudies w e m ay m ention : M . C oornaert , n .d ., M . C oornaert , 1 965, W . W intein , 1 967 a nd W . W intein , 1 967a f or t he a rea a round B rugge; P h . D espriet , 1 978 a nd e specially R . M erlier , 1 976 f or c ertain p arts o f S outh W est F landers ; A . V erhoeve , 1 972 , f or W erken n ear D iksmuide; M . G ysseling , 1 950, f or O udenburg , e tc. M any l ocal h istories m erely m ention t he p resence o f m oats, w ithout s tudying t hem f urther . W e w ish t o t hank D r A . V erhoeve ( Gent U niversity) a nd M iss R . M erlier f or t he k indness w ith w hich t hey a llowed u s t o c onsult t heir w ork .
8 7
S ee F . A . A berg , e d ., 1 978 , p p . 8 2-86 a nd t he A nnual R eports o f t he M oated S ites R esearch G roup f or t he r elevant b ibliography
8 8
J . M . P esez a nd F . P iponnier , 1 972 a nd J . M . P esez a nd F .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 6 7
P iponnier , 1 975. W e t hank M . P esez f or t he i nformation h e g ave u s w hen d iscussing t he m oated s ites . 8 9
T . B . B arry ,
1 977 a nd i dem ,
1 978 .
9 0
C . H oek , 1 975. W e t hank M r C . H oek f or t he c onsiderable i nformation h e g ave u s c oncerning m oated s ites i n H olland a nd t heir h istorical b ackground.
9 1
F . A . A berg , e d., 1 978 , P . 3 . A ccording t o t his l ist, 5 07 m oats a re k nown i n S uffolk a nd 5 48 i n E ssex . T he o ther c ounties a ppear t o h ave f ewer m oats.
9 2
i bid , p . 4 7, t able I V .
B IBLIOGRAPHY A berg , F . A . ( ed .) 1 978 , M edieval m oated s ites , C .B .A . R esearch R eport N o 1 7, L ondon . A meryckx , J . 1 958 , ' Bodem e n B ewoning i n d e Z eepolders', N atuurwetenschappelijk T ijdschrift , 4 0 , p p . 1 76-193. A meryckx , J . 1 959, ' De o ntstaansgeschiedenis v an d e z eepolders ', B iekorf , 6 0 , p p . 3 77-400 . B arry , T . B . 1 977, T he M edieval M oated S ites o f S outh-Eastern I reland : C ounties C arlow , K ilkenny , T ipperary a nd W exford . B ritish A rchaeological R eports , 3 5 , O xford . B arry , T . B . 1 978 , 1 978 , p p . 5 6-59.
' Moated s ites i n I reland ', i n F . A . A berg ( ed.),
B orremans , R . 1 964 , ' Fouille d 'une m otte f eodale ä K ontich ', ( Chateau G aillard . E tudes d e C astellologie e uropeenne . I . C olloque d es A ndelys, 3 0 m ai-juin 1 962), C aen , p p . 1 0-20. C oornaert , M . n .d . U itkerke . D e T opografie, d e G eschiedenis e n d e T oponymie v an U itkerke e n S int-Jan-op-de-Dijk t ot o mstreeks 1 900. C oornaert , M . 1 965, K oudekerke-Heist. v an H eist-aan-Zee t ot o mstreeks 1 900 .
D e T opografie e n d e T oponimie
D e M eulemeester , J . 1 977, ' B an c irculaire v ersterking t e A lveringem ', C onspectus M CMLXXVI , A rchaeologia B elgica , 1 96, B russels. D e M eulemeester , J . 1 978 , D e S ingelberg t e B everen-Waas, A rchaeologia B elgica , 2 08 , B russels . D e M eulemeester , J . 1 978a , D e G alooie t e L oker . B randrestengraf e n m iddeleeuwse m ote, A rchaeologia B elgica , 2 03 , B russels. D espriet, P h .
1 978 , T wintig Z uidwestvlaamse H oeven , K ortrijk .
D e vlie gher , L .Sites1 9 9, ' ZEurope. outenaaie ', Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated In5 North-West E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 6 8
H andelingen v an h et G enootschap
v oor G eschiedenis g esticht o nder d e b enaming ' Socigte d 'Emulation ' t e B rugge , X CVI, p p . 2 50-251. G illiodts-van S everen , L . 1 896, ' Cout . F um es, 1 896-1897 ', C outumes d u P ays e t C omte d e F landre, Q uartier d e F um es. C outumes d e l a V ille e t C hätellenie d e F um es , B russels ( Recueil d es A nciennes C outumes d e l a B elgique). G ysseling , M . 1 950 , T oponymie v an O udenburg , W erken u itgegeven d oor d e K oninklijke C ommissie v oor T oponymie e n D ialectologie ( Vlaamse A fdeling ), N o . 5 , T ongeren . H oek , C . 1 975, ' Moated s ites i n t he C ounty o f H olland ', M oated S ites R esearch G roup , A nnual R eport, N o . 2 , p p . 1 8-20 . L ava , A . 1 959, ' Zoutenaaie i n h eden e n v erleden ', B achten d e K upe, N o . 3 , 1 959 , p p . 1 6-20 . L ava , A .
1 961,
1 ,
' Over o pgravingen t e Z outenaaie ', D e D uinen , 2 , N o . 3 ,
p p . 3 5-39 . L efranc, G . 1 976 , V estiges d e m ottes f godales e n F landre i nterieure. A tlas A rchgologique, N o . 1 , L ille. L e P atourel, H . E . J . 1 973 , T he M oated s ites o f Y orkshire ( Society f or M edieval A rchaeology , M onograph S eries, N o . 5 ), L ondon . M erlier , R . 1 976 , D e l andelijke b ebouwing i n d e S int-Pietersheerlijkheid d oor d e e euwen h een i n D esselgem , B everen-Leie, D eerlijk e n W aregem , G ent, D iss. G ent U niversity , ( manuscript). M ertens, J . 1 970 , ' De e conomische e n s ociale t oestand v an d e o pstandelingen u it h et B rugse V rije, w ier g oederen n a d e s lag b ij C assel ( 1328) v erbeurd v erklaard w erden ', B elgisch T ijdschrift v oor F ilologie e n G eschiedenis, X LVII , 4 , p . 131-1153 ( Belgische C entrum v oor L andelijke G eschiedenis - C entre b elge d 'Histoire r urale, p ublication N o . 1 9 , G ent - L euven ). M ertens, J . 1 960 , ' Opgravingen t e Z outenaaie e n t e O udenburg ', H andelingen v an h et G enootschap v oor G eschiedenis g esticht o nder d e b enaming ' Societe d 'Emulation ' t e B rugge , C XVII , p p . 2 75-277. M ertens, J , 1 960a , ' Zoutenaaie . P rimitive d orspskern ', A rcheologie ( Antiquitg C lassique , 2 9, 1 960), p p . 4 22-423 . M oorman , F . R . 1 951, B odemkaart v an B elgie . V erklarende t ekst b ij h et k aartblad L ampernisse 5 1 W . S .1., I .W .O .N .L . M oormann , F .R . 1 951a, ' De B odemgesteldheid v an h et O udland v an V eurne-Ambacht ', N atuurwetenschappelijk T ijdschrift , 3 , N o . 1 -4, p p . 3 -124 . P esez, J . M . a nd P iponnier , F . 1 972, ' Les m aison-fortes b ourguignonnes', C hateau G aillard. E tudes d e C astellologie m edigvale. V . A ctes d u c olloque i nternational t enu a H indsgavl ( Denmark), 1 -6 Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. S e ptPublishing, embre 1981, 1 97 0 , p p . 1 43-164, C aen . Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P es , J . M . a nd P iponnier , F . 1 975, ' France , B urgundy ', M oated S ites R esearch G roup , A nnual R eport N o . 2 , p p . 1 5-16. P irenne , H .
1 900 , L e s oulävement d e l a F landre m aritime d e 1 323-1328 ,
B russels.
R .C .H .M ., 1 968 , A n I nventory o f H istorical M onuments i n t he C ounty o f C ambridge. V ol . I . W est C ambridgeshire . H .M .S .O . S anders , J . 1 979, H istorisch-geografishe s tudie v an v erlaten b ewoningssites t e Z outenaaie . E en a rcheologisch , p alynologish b odemkun c tig o nderzoek , G ent, D iss. G ent U niversity , ( manuscript). S collar , I . V erhaeghe, F . a nd G autier , A . 1 970, A M edieval S ite ( 14th C entury) a t L ampernisse ( West F landers, B elgium ). ( Dissertationes A rchaeologicae G andenses, v ol . X III) ( Belgisch C entrum v oor L andelijke G eschiedenis , p ublication N o . 2 2). B rugge. T avernier , R . a nd A meryckx , J . 1 970 , ' Kust , D uinen , P olders ', A tlas v an B elgie , B lad 1 7 ( National C omitg v oor G eografie, C ommissie v oor d e N ationale A tlas), B russels. T aylor , C . C . 1 978 , ' Moated s ites: t heir d efinition , c lassification ', p p . 5 -13 i n F . A . A berg ( ed .), 1 978 .
f orm a nd
T hoen , E . 1 978 , ' Oorlogen e n p latteland . S ociale e n e konomische a spekten v an m ilitaire , d estruktie i n V laanderen t ijdens d e l ate m iddeleeuwen e n d e v roege m oderne T ijden ', T ijdschrift v oor G eschiedenis, 9 1, p p . 3 63-378 . T 'Jonck , G . 1 959, B odemkaart v an B elgie. V erklarende t ekst b ij h et k aartblad H oogstade 6 5 E . S .1., I .W .O .N .L . T 'Jonck , G . a nd M oormann , F . R . 1 962, B odemkaart v an B elgie. V erkhr ende t ekst b ij h et k aartblad V eurne 5 0 E . I .W .O .N .L . T refois, C . V . 1 950 , O ntwikkelingsgeschiedenis v an o nze l andelijke A rchitektuur , A ntwerp . V andewalle, P . 1 975, ' Vinkem ', H andelingen v an h et G enootschap v oor G eschiedenis g esticht o nder d e b enaming ' Societg d 'Emulation ' t e B rugge, C XII, p p . 1 31-152 . V an D oorselaer , C entury V illage ( Dissertationes v oor L andelijke
A . a nd V erhaeghe , F . 1 974 , E xcavations a t t he X IVth o f R oeselare ( Sint M argriete) ( East F landers , B elgium ), A rchaeologicae G andenses, V ol . X V) ( Belgisch C entrum G eschiedenis, p ublication N o . 3 4), B rugge.
V erhaeghe , F . 1 977, D e m iddeleeuwse l andelijke b ewoningssites i n e en d eel v an V eurne-Ambacht. B ijdrage t ot d e m iddeleeuwse a rcheologie . G ent, D oct. D iss G ent U niversity , ( manuscript). V erhoeve , A . 1 964, ' Formes c irculaires e n B asse-Belgique, f aits n aturels o u a rchgologiques?' i n C olloque i nternational d 'archgologie a eA.E riBrown. enne , 3 1, a oSites utIn North-West - 3s ep tembre 1 963 , p p . 2 07-212 ( Biblioth que Aberg, F.A, and Medieval Moated Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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g enerale d e l 'Ecole P ratique d es H autes E tudes - V ie S ection), P aris . V erhoeve , A . 1 972 , B odem e n L andschap i n c entraal W est-Vlaanderen . E en h istorisch-geografische s tudie v an d e g emeenten L ichtervelde , S nellegem e n W erken o p g rond v an t erreinstudie , b odemkaart e n l andboeken , G ent, D oct . D iss . G ent U niversity , ( manuscript). V erhulst , A . 1 964 , H et l andschap i n V laanderen i n h istorisch p erspectief , ( Uitgave v an h et W illems-Fonds , N o . 2 02), A ntwerp . V erhulst , A .
1 965 , H istoire d u p aysage r ural e n F landre d e l 'epoque
r omaine a ux X V111e s iècle ( Collection ' Notre P asse '), B russels. V erhulst, A . 1 967, ' Note p our s ervir a l 'etude a rchgologique d e v illages d esert s e n B elgique', i n L 'arch6ologie d u v illage m edi6val , p p . 1 23-134 ( Belgisch C entrum v oor L andelijke G eschiedenis , p ublication N o . 5 ), G ent-Leuven . W intein , W . 1 967, ' De o ntwikkeling v an D udzele ', H istorisch-geografische s chets v an e en P ldergemeente . R ond d e P oldertorens, I X , p p . 1 -36. W intein , W . 1 967a , ' Landschapsontwikkeling t e S ijsele ', J aarboek v an d e H eemkundige K ring ' Bos e n B everveld '.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
M OATED S ITES I N T HE C OUNTY O F H OLLAND
b y C . H oek
T he c ounty o f H olland f orms a bout o ne s eventh o f t he p resent k ingdom o f t he N etherlands a nd l ies a long t he N orth S ea c oast , b eing b ounded o n t he e ast b y t he Z uider Z ee , t he d iocese o f U trecht , a nd t he c ounty o f G uelders a nd o n t he s outh b y t he c ounty o f Z eeland a nd t he d uchy o f B rabant. A lthough r esearch s pecifically o n t he s ubject o f m oated s ites h as n ot b een d one t hroughout t he N etherlands, s omething w ill b e s aid a bout t he o ccurrence o f m oated s ites o utside t he c ounty o f H olland i tself . T his c ounty i s t he c entral c oastal p lain o f t he N etherlands a nd c onsists o f ap eat-clay l andscape p rotected f rom t he s ea b y c oastal b arriers c omposed o f s and o n w hich, i n t he M iddle A ges, d unes g radually f ormed . I n R oman t imes w hen t he g reatest p art o f t he a rea w as p art o f t he E mpire, i t w as f airly d ensely p opulated . T he p opulation l ived i n l arge , t imber f armhouses s pread o ut o ver t he c ountry , b ut b y t he e nd o f t he 3 rd c entury , t he p eople h ad l argely m oved o n , s o t hat t he c ountry o nce m ore b ecame a w ilderness . F rom t he 6 th c entury o nwards t he l and w as a gain i nhabited a nd t hen f ormed p art o f t he F riesian k i n gdom w hich , f rom t he b eginning o f t he 7 th c entury a fter a lmost a h undred y ears o f w ar , w as c onquered b y t he F ranks, w ho i ntroduced C hristianity i nto t he c ountry a nd d ivided i t i nto a dministrative d istricts o r c ounties. R eclamation o f t he e xtensive c entral p eatland a reas w as a t i ts h eight i n t he 1th a nd 1 2th c enturies a nd , a fter l arge p arts o f t he a rea h ad s uffered f rom f looding f rom t he s econd h alf o f t he 1 2th c entury , t his p rocess w as c ompleted i n t he 1 3th c entury . T his c entury , t oo , s aw t he f irst t owns c ome i nto b eing a nd t hese b ecame t he c entres o f t he a grarian a reas i n c ontrast t o t he o ld t rading s ettlements a long t he r ivers. T he l and w as d ivided u p b y m eans o f d itches w hich s eparated t he p asture a nd a rable p arts f rom e ach o ther a nd s erved t o d rain o ff t he p eaty a reas i nto t he c reeks a nd r ivers . T hese d itches w ere o riginally 1 m etre w ide; a t p resent t hey v ary i n w idth f rom 1 t o 2m etres , e xcept f or t hose w hich p lay a n i mportant p art i n t he w ater b alance , w hich a re t wo o r t hree t imes a s w ide . O riginally i t w as p ossible t o g row g rain o n t he p eatlands b ut, b ecause o f d rainage , t he g round s ubsided w ith t he r esult t hat t he n atural f low o f t he w ater i nto t he r ivers c ame t o a n e nd. T he g round b ecame w etter a nd a griculture d isappeared , t o b e r eplaced b y p asture a nd c attle b reeding , w hilst l arge a reas o f t he l owest l ying g round w ere d ug o ut t o o btain p eat f or u se a s f uel. W ritten r ecords t ell u s t hat t he g rain y ield d ecreased r apidly i n t he l ast h alf o f t he 1 4th c entury a nd m igration f rom t he p eatlands t o t he t own o f L eiden , w hich a bout 1 360 h ad t he s ame p ercentage o f i nhabitants a s t hat o f t he s andy a reas a long t he c oast , a ppears t o h ave d oubled b y a bout Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P late 7 .1
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 7 .2
T eylingen
t er D uijn
1 400 i n c omparison w ith t he p opulation i n t he s andy a reas. I n t he p eatlands, t oo, t he c ontributions f rom t he v illages t o t he c osts o f w ar w ere r educed b y t he C ount t o a f ourth a nd l awsuits w ere e ntered i nto b ythe o wners o f t ithes a gainst f armers w ho d ug a way t heir g round i n o rder t o o btain p eat . T hese f acts a gree w ith t he f indings o f a n a rchaeological i nvestigation o f as ettlement t o t he w est o f R otterdam w hich c ontained e ight f armsteads i n t he p eriod f rom 1 200 t o 1 345. I n 1 400 t he n umber h ad d ecreased t o t wo, t he f armyards o f w hich h ad b een r aised a bout o ne m etre a nd w hich , u p t o a f ew y ears a go , w ere s till i n u se. S hortly a fter 1 400 , c ontrol o f t he w ater w as i mproved b y m eans o f d rainage w indmills , b ut b y t hen i t w as t oo l ate t o r everse t he g reat e conomic c hanges w hich h ad t aken p lace o n t he l and . T he i nvestigation o f t he s ignificance o f m oated s ites a nd t heir o rigin w ill , t herefore, h ave t o b e c oncentrated w ithin t he p eriod b etween r eclamation o f t he l and a nd t he e nd o f t he 1 4th c entury . B efore s tarting t o d o t his , i t w ill b e n ecessary t o d efine t he t erm ' moated s ite'. T he f armsteads o riginally s tood o n t he l and b elonging t o t hem , u sually a bout f orty t o s ixty a cres . T he f armyard p recincts w ere s eparated f rom t he l and b y o rdinary d itches, o ne m etre i n w idth . T hese f armsteads w ere n ot m oated s ites a ny m ore t han t hey w ere p urely d efensive c astles. I n t he c ounty t he l atter w ere b uilt s olely b y t he c ounts a nd t heir f amily , a s, f or i nstance, t he c astle i n L eiden, t he m otte o f w hich d ates f rom t he 1th c entury a nd t he s hell k eep f rom t he 1 2th ; t he c astle o f M uiden , o riginally b uilt a bout 1 290, a nd t he c astle a t M edemblik , d ating f rom t he s ame t ime. A ll t hese w ere s urrounded b y w ide m oats. B y ' moated s ites ' w e m ean a ll o ther b uilding c omplexes s ituated o n o ne o r m ore i slands, t he m oats s urrounding t hem b eing a t l east 4 m etres w ide. T hat t hese c an b e f ound i n l arge n umbers w ithin t he c ounty c an b e s hown b y t he f act t hat i n 1 645 t he a rtist R oeland R oghman w as a ble t o p roduce d rawings o f m ore t han a h undred o f t hem ; o f c ourse h e d id n ot t ake i nto c onsideration t hose w hich w ere l ess p icturesque o r l argely r uinous . M ost o f t hem h ave d isappeared n ow , b ut o ne w hich s till e xists i s T eylingen , w hich c onsists o f t wo i slands; t he m ain b uilding d ates f rom t he f irst h alf o f t he 1 3th c entury , a nd i s b uilt o f b rick . O ne h undred a nd e ighty a cres o f l and s urrounded t he c omplex a nd i t w as t he c hief s eat o f a f amily f irst r ecorded i n 143 a nd w hich, i n t he 1 3th c entury , p ossessed o ne o f t he m ost i mportant m oated s ites i n t he c ountry ( Pl . 7 .1). A nother s ite , t he S toop h ouse, h as d isappeared . I t w as a f arm d ating f rom a bout 1 600 w ith a 1 5th c entury t ower a nd e qually o ld s tone c hamber . As impler c onception s till t han t hese e xamples w as t he h ouse t er D uijn , t he f armyard o f w hich m easured 1 8 b y 1 8 m etres ( Pl . 7 .2). T he f amily i n w hose p ossession i t w as a lready l ived i n t he t own o f R otterdam a t t he e nd o f t he 1 4th c entury . I t i s p ossible w ithout m uch d ifficulty t o m ark o n am ap o f t he c ounty 1 50 s uch m oated s ites, b ut l ocal i nvestigation o n q uite a s mall s cale h as c ertainly i ndicated t hat t he n umber m ust o riginally h ave b een t hree t imes a s l arge. A rchaeological r esearch t o t he s outh-west o f R otterdam a t P oortugaal p roduced m uch i nformation a bout s uch a n u nknown s ite.
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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T he s ite w as s ituated o n an ow v anished c reek w hich r an i nto t he n ow a lso n on-existent r iver W aal , o nce t he m ost i mportant a rm o f t he R hine. T here w as a w ooden h ouse o n t he s outh b ank i n t he 4 th c entury B C . T he a rea w as s ubsequently d eserted u ntil t he 2 nd c entury A D a t w hich t ime t he c reek , b ecause o f t he g reater t idal i nflux o f t he s ea, h ad d eepened a nd l eft a t hin l ayer o f c lay o n t he l and . A f arm w as b uilt t here a gain i n t he 2 nd c entury . T he l and b elonging t o i t o n t he s outh d rained i nto t he c reek t hrough a d itch, w hich r an a long t hree s ides o f t he f armyard , m aking u se o f a s mall c reek . A t t he b eginning o f t he 3 rd c entury t he f armyard w as e xtended n orthwards a nd a g ranary b uilt . L ow e mbankments w ere b uilt a long t he c reek a nd t he d rainage d itch p assed t hrough t hem b y m eans o f a s imple s luice, m ade f rom a h ollow t ree t runk . T his w as a lso d one o n t he n orthern b ank w here t here w as a s ide c reek . H alf a c entury l ater a n ew , l arger h ouse w as b uilt a nd t he g ranary e xtended . T he n ew h ouse b locked t he e xisting d rainage w hich w as l ed o ff t o t he n orth-east, p robably b y a s imilar s luice, b ut t his p oint c ould n ot b e r eached d uring t he e xcavations ( Fig . 7 .1). H abitation e nded a bout t he y ear 2 75, b ut t he d rainage s ystem c ontinued t o f unction , e ven t hough t he s luices b ecame b locked, a nd f ormed n ew e xits . A bout 8 00 t he s ite w as a gain t aken i nto u se. T he o ld f armyard w as m ade i nto a n i sland b y d igging a m oat 1 .75 m . d eep a nd 8 m . w ide, i n w hich p art o f t he p re-existing d rainage c hannel w as i ncorporated. P art o f t he i sland w as r aised 7 0 c m . a nd s urrounded b y a l ight f ence. Aw ooden h ouse w as b uilt o n t his g round b ut i t w as n ot a f arm . T he r oof w as s upported b y f ive h eavy r ound p osts i n l ine f or 5 m . D epending o n t he t ype o f r oof c onstruction a ssumed , t he h ouse c ould h ave m easured 7 x 5 m ., o r m ore p robably 7 x 1 m . T he s ide c reek t o t he n orth o f t he m ain c reek f unctioned a s am ain d rain i nto w hich t he d itches c oming f rom t he n orth r an . B etween t he s ide a nd m ain c reeks w ere a f ew s mall d wellings m easuring 4 x 6 m . O n t he w est s ide t he s ite w as c losed b y a f ence , a nd n earby w ere t races o f a l arge b uilding o f h eavier c onstruction w hich c ould n ot b e i nvestigated a dequately , b ut m ay b e t aken a s ad omestic b uilding ( Fig . 7 .2). A bout a c entury l ater t he y ard o n t he i sland w as e xtended 4 i m . t o t he e ast a nd t he h ouse m oved u p ag ai nst t he n ew f ence o n t his s ide. T his n ew h ouse a ppears t o h ave h ad a s mall l ook-out t ower w ith a f loor a rea 2 x 2 m . a nd a ppears t o h ave b een i n u se f or a c onsiderable t ime c onsidering t he t races o f m any r epairs ( Fig . 7 .3). I n t he 1 2th c entury t he y ard w as a gain e xtended t o t he e ast a nd n orth , a nd a n ew h ouse b uilt o f t imber a nd p laster o n s unken g rounds ills . I t m easured 43 2 x 2 1 m . P art o f t he o ld h ouse w as r etained i ncluding t he t ower w hich w as n ow q uite s eparate. As mall b akehouse w as a lso b uilt o n t he s ite , 2 .50 x 3 .8 m . i n s ize. T he p recincts n ow t ook u p h alf t he i sland, b ut w ere n o l onger s urrounded b y af ence . A f ence h ad b een p laced a round t he u nraised s ection , t hus p roving t hat i t h ad n o m ilitary f unction f or w hich i t w as i n a ny c ase t oo w eak ; i t p robably s erved t o k eep t he c attle a nd h orses , w hich g razed o n t he i sland ,
f rom t he p remises ( Fig .
7 .4).
I n 164 t he w hole c omplex w as d estroyed b y f loods a nd t he w hole a rea l ay u nprotected b y d ikes f or a t l east f ifteen y ears . P arts o f t he d itches o n t he n orth s ide a nd t he m oat o n t he s outh s ide b ecame Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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F ig .
7 .1
P oortugaal,
f armhouse i n t he m iddle o f t he 3 rd c entury
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. F ig . https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. 7 .2 P oortugaal, m oated E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
s ite i n t he 9 th c entury
5 0m
F ig .
7 .3
P oortugaal, m oated s ite i n t he
1th c entury
5 0 , „ '
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t he m iddle o f t he
1 2th c entury
F ig . 7 .5
P oortugaal, m oated s ite i n 1 200
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 79
F ig .
7 .6
P oortugaal, m oated s ite i n 1 250
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
1 80
e
e6 ,e ; ‘ , Q e 3 g 8, e ' e2 v a i
( 2 e -a
, e i bes e 3 eez2e 3 G 81 E e'3
e : 3
F ig .
7 .7
P oortugaal, m oated s ite i n 1 350
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
181
c reeks a nd , i n t he c urve o f o ne o f t hese , o n ab ed o f c lay . 5 m . t hick l eft b y t he f looding , ah illock 2 1 - f t . h igh w asthrown u p w ith a s imple d welling o n i t . T his r aised s ite w as i ntended f or s heep , w hich g razed o n t he l and w hich h ad b ecome m ud f lats . I n 180 t he l and w as a gain p rotected b y ar ing d ike , w hich c aused a p older o f a bout 1 80 a cres t o c ome i nto b eing , o f t hese 1 20 a ppear t o h ave b elonged t o t he c omplex i nvestigated . T he o riginal d welling s ite h ad b ecome c ompletely u ninhabitable . T he s heep d isappeared f rom t he s ite a nd a w ooden h ouse w as b uilt o n t he n orth s ide , n ext t o ay ard 8 x 8 m . i n s ize , s urrounded b y am oat e ight m etres w ide . T he y ard w as r aised a bout 1 .5 m . a nd p rovided r oom f or a b uilding a bout 5 x 5 m . i n s ize w hich, t o j udge f rom t he b roken p ieces o f p ottery f ound i n t he m oat , m ust h ave s erved a s ad welling . I t w ould a ppear t o b e o f a t ype s uch a s w as b uilt i n t he e ast o f t he N etherlands a nd t he a djoining p art o f G ermany u p t o a nd i n t he 1 5th c entury a nd a g ood e xample o f w hich c an b e s een i n t he O pen A ir M useum i n K ommern . A t t he s ame t ime a w ooden c hurch w as b uilt t o t he s outh o f t he n ew c omplex ( Fig . 7 .5). A bout 1 220 t he s ection t emporarily u sed f or s heep w as r aised t o f orm a m otte 7 m . h igh , s urrounded b y am oat . T here w as a b rick t ower o n t he m otte a nd t he w ooden c hurch w as r eplaced b y a b rick o ne. T he w ooden t ower w as d emolished a nd t he d itch b elonging t o i t f illed i n , w hilst t o t he e ast o f i t aw ooden d welling , 4x 6m ., w as b uilt , w hich w as l ater r eplaced b y a l arger o ne , 5 .5 m . x 1 3 m . ( Fig . 7 .6). T he w hole c omplex w as a bandoned a bout 1 305 , a fter a b rick m anor h ouse h ad b een b uilt a m ile a way . F orty y ears l ater , h owever , t he m otte w as l evelled a nd a n o rchard m ade , o n t hree s ides o f w hich t he m oat w as f illed i n . T he f ourth s ide w as u sed , a s w as a lso a p art o f t he c reek , t o m ake a l arge m oated s ite 5 5 x4 0 m ., w ithin w hich a s tone f arm , 1 0 x2 8 m ., w as s ituated ( Fig . 7 .7). T his f arm d isappeared a fter h alf a c entury a nd w as t he p roperty o f am ember o f a f amily o f m inor n oblemen , w ho a lso o wned m oated s ites e lsewhere . T he f irst r ecord o f t his f amily d ates f rom 1 222 , b ut t hey w ere n ot t he o wners o f t he o lder c omplex . T his s ite w as a c urtis ( hof , l ocally c ommon i n p lace n ames) t he c entre o f ac uria o r m anor . T he r egion k nown a s t he ' Hoftithes' i s s ituated i n P oortugaal a round t he a rea i nvestigated . A rchaeological r esearch h as s hown t hat a round R otterdam s ettlements f rom t he 7 th c entury s tart w ith t hese c urtes , o ne o f t heir c haracteristics b eing t hat s erfs w ere a ttached t o t hem . T hese w ere r ecorded i n P oortugaal f or t he l ast t ime i n 1 368 . I n t he f irst h alf o f t he 1 3th c entury w e o ften f ind s mall m ottes f orming p art o f am oated s ite a nd a fter t hat b rick t owers, e ither s eparately m oated o r n ot . S ome e xamples o f t his t ype o f s ite w ill n ow b e g iven . T he f ollowing e xamples w ere i n t he p ossession o f a f amily , w hich , a fter t he c ount 's f amily , t o w hich i t w as c ertainly r elated , w as t he m ost i mportant i n H olland . I t w as f irst r ecorded i n 108 a nd p ossessed a t l east e leven m oated s ites b esides a c astle . R esearch h as o ften h ad t o b e c onfined t o t he m ain b uildings , b ut t he e ntire c omplexes w ould a ppear f rom w ritten r ecords t o h ave b een l arger . F irst , Z wartewaal : h ere t he c onstruction o f t he m otte i s w ell d ated b ecause o f a f lood , w hich o ccurred d uring c onstruction i n 1 214. T he m otte w as r oughly 8 m . h igh , b ut t he t ower d isappeared a bout 1 300 , p o s s i b l y a s a r e s u l t o f a c t s o f w a r i n 1 3 0 4 ( F i g . 7 .8 ) . T h i r t y f i v e Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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y ears l ater t he m otte w as l evelled , r educing t he s ize o f t he s urrounding m oat . A s tone f arm w as b uilt o n t he a rea t hus f ormed w hich w as 2 m . h igh . T his w as d estroyed i n 1 418 , a fter w hich t he s ite w as d eserted ( Fig . 7 .9). I n n earby H eenvliet w e f ound f our s ites . T he o ldest d ated f rom a bout 1 220 a nd w as a s mall m otte, w hich m easured 2 0 x 3 0 m . i nside i ts m oat. I n t he m iddle o f t he 1 4th c entury t his m otte w as e xtended t o f orm a c ircle w ith a d iameter 4 7 m . w ith a m oat 2 0 m . w ide r ound i t a nd c rowned b y ar ing w all w ith s mall r ound t owers a nd a h exagonal g atehouse. T here w as a s maller m oat o utside t his a nd a n umber o f a dditional b uildings f or a gricultural p urposes . T he c omplex w as d estroyed i n 1 418 . T he s econd s ite , 1 5 x 1 5 m ., d ated f rom t he m iddle o f t he 1 3th c entury ; i t h ad a s tone t ower o n i t , w hich d isappeared s hortly a fter 1 300 . S ixty y ears l ater t he i sland w as e xtended , a t t he e xpense o f t he m oat , t o 2 0 x2 0 m . a nd a b rick h ouse w as b uilt o n i t , w hich w as d estroyed i n 1 418 , a fter w hich t he s ite w as a bandoned . T he k eep , 1 0 m oved t o t he m oat
t hird s ite w as j ust a s o ld a s t he p revious o ne. A s mall h all x 1 4 m ., w as b uilt o n i t; t he f arm s ituated n earby w as l ater m ake w ay f or a n e xtension o f t he b uilding w ithin a p ortion o f i n t he 1 5th c entury . T he h ouse w as d estroyed i n 1 572 .
T here a re t wo s ites n ear R otterdam b elonging t o t his f amily g roup, t he o ldest c onsisting o f a t ower b uilt a bout 1 275 o n t he b ank o f a s tream , w ith a f arm n ext t o i t . I t w as d emolished i n 1 572. T he s econd s ite i s l ater a nd d ates f rom a fter 1 325 b ut b efore 1 333 . T he b uilder b ought t welve a cres o f t he g round d uring t his p eriod i n f ee f rom t he e arl a nd b uilt a s tone h ouse o n t he i sland w hich m easured 2 1 x 3 5 m . T he m oat a nd t he g ate w ere r ecorded i n 1 356 , b ut i n 1 449 t he w hole w as r uined a nd u ninhabitable. T he t own o f R otterdam h ad b een e xtended a nd t his s ite n ow l ay w ithin t he t own d itch . I t w as r ebuilt s hortly a fterwards, b ecoming a g roup o f b uildings w hich o ccupied t he w hole s ite, b ut b etween 1 512 a nd 1 552 i t d isappeared c ompletely . I n 1 571 o nly t he m oat r emained. T he g reater n umber o f t hese s ites w as t hen i n t he p ossession o f y ounger , m inor b ranches o f t his f amily o r t heir b astards . An umber o f 1 3th c entury e xamples f ollow . I n H illegersberg i s a m otte 6 m . h igh w hich w as p ut u p r ound 1 240 , w ith a b rick t ower 1 0 x 1 0 m . N ear t he t ower t here w as a 1 2th c entury f arm a nd a c hurch b uilt a t t he e nd o f t he c entury . T he w hole s ite i s n ow a c hurchyard s o t hat i t w as i mpossible t o i nvestigate t he f armstead . T he m oat a round t he m otte , d estroyed i n 1 426, c an b e s een c learly a s ar esult o f t he s ubsidence o ft he h undred-year-old f amily v aults. T wo h undred a cres o f l and b elonged t o t he s ite, a f ew t ithes a nd f ishing r ights i n a n earby r iver . T wo o ther e xamples a re e qually o ld , a nd d ate f rom a bout 1 240 , w hen t he e arl s ubinfeudated p arts o f h is m anor i n V laardingen t o p rivate p ersons , w ho c onstructed m attes n ear t he f arms t hey a lready h ad . T he s mallest o ne , H oly , i s o nly 14 m . h igh a nd i s s urrounded Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P late 7 .3
V laardingen ,
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
P late 7 .4
r econstruction o f H oly
C apelle a an d en Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 945
b y am oat 5 m . w ide a nd 1 .5 m . d eep , w hilst t he t ower m easured 6 .5 b y 7 .5 m . o n t he o utside . T he l and b elonging t o t his w as o f t he s ame s ize a s t hat a t H illegersberg . B y 1 400 t he o wners o f b oth s ites l ived i n t he t own o f S chiedam . B oth s ites w ere d estroyed i n 1 572 b ut d etails f rom m aps, m ade a y ear e arlier a nd a m odel m ade a fter e xcavation g ive a n i dea o f w hat t hey w ere l ike ( Pl . 7 .3). A t A bbenbroek a round 1 280 a b rick t ower w as b uilt w ithout a m otte, s ince a fter a bout 1 260 t hese w ere n o l onger c onstructed . T he t ower w as s urrounded b y aw ide m oat, o utside w hich w as t he f armstead . A s imilar c omplex h as b een w ell p reserved i n t he d iocese o f U trecht a nd t he m oat a round t he f armstead i s s till e xtant . A t K athendrecht t he h ouse w as o f ad ifferent t ype, t he t ower, b uilt a bout 1 290, w as s ituated a t t he c orner o f a l arger i sland 3 5 x 3 5 m ., w ithin a m oat 8 m . w ide a nd i n f ront o f w hich l ay a s econd i sland , d escribed i n w ritten r ecords . T he c omplex w as m ade u ninhabitable b y f loods i n 1 373 a nd d emolished a bout 1 400 . W e h ave h ere a t ype w hich c an b e c ompared w ith t he ' maisons f ortes', s uch a s t hose f ound b y J . M . P esez a nd P . P iponnier i n B urgundy a nd i n F landre I nterieure i n n orthern F rance b y G . L efranc . T he s ite k nown a s S teenhu isen , n ear V laardingen , b elongs t o t he s ame t ype. T his w as b uilt i n 1 317 a nd w as d emolished i n 1 350 . T he f armstead w as s ituated o utside t he m oat . T he h istory o f t he s ite a t C apelle a an d en Y ssel , t o t he e ast o f R otterdam , i s e xtremely c omplicated . A n a erial p hotograph t aken i n 1 945 s hows t he d ouble m oat o f t he h ouse, d emolished i n 1 797, w hich l ay b ehind t he e mbankment o f t he r iver Y ssel . F urther t o t he n orth t races o f a nother m oat c an b e s een i n t he i nundated l and , w here r aised b ands o f c lay b etray t he v anished c reeks ( Pl . 7 . )4 ). A rchaeological a nd d ocumentary r esearch p roduced t he f ollowing s tory . A s ite w here s ix d rainage c reeks f rom t he p eatlands f lowed t ogether b efore r unning i nto t he Y ssel , w hich h ad b een i nhabited i n R oman t imes, w as r eoccupied f rom t he e nd o f t he 1 2th c entury . T he f armstead w as s ituated o n ap eninsula , f ormed b y t he m ain c reek a nd o ne o f t he s ide c reeks . A bout 1 260 a s mall b rick h ouse 4 x 8 m . w as b uilt a t t he e xtreme e nd o f t he p eninsula , s eparated f rom t he r est o f t he e state b y a s mall c anal , i n w hich ,t here w as a d am . T wenty y ears l ater p art o f t he s ite w as d ug u p t o f orm a m oat a nd, o n t he i sland s o f ormed a h all k eep w as b uilt, c onnected t o t he e xisting h ouse b y aw all . T he s mall m oat o f t his h ouse w as r etained, a nd a w ater g ate w as m ade t hrough t he e mbankment w all . A t t hat t ime i n H olland m ost t ransport w as c arried o n b y w ater i n s mall b oats . A s ar esult o f t hese b uilding a ctivities t he f armstead w as m oved t o t he w est , t he f armyard m ade i nto a s econd i sland b y m eans o f am oat b etween t wo c reeks , a nd a s tone b arn b uilt o n i t . I n t he s ame w ay t wo o ther i slands w ere f ormed , o n w hich t races o f o ccupation d ating f rom t his p eriod w ere f ound ( Pl . 7 .5). I n 1 350 a f ifth i sland w ith a c urtain w all w as c onstructed , b ut b efore t his w as c ompleted , t he c omplex w as d emolished a fter a c ivil w ar . T he o wner w as n ot g iven p ermission t o e rect a l arge n ew b uilding a nd h ad t o b e s atisfied w ith a b uilding o n t he o ldest i sland. I t w a s 1 0 x 1 5 m . i n s i z e a n d h a d b r i c k w a l l s o n l y a f o o t t h i c k . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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P late 7 .5
C apelle a an d en Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 350
P late 7 .6
C apelle a an d en Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 750
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
S CH /EDAM H U IS T E I TV IERE
_7
EN R IJKSC IENS T V OD I T O E 1 . 80 1 I IUMENTE IQU I TG
P late 7 .7
S chiedam , c astle i n 1 350
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
I WS
T he i sland w as e nlarged b y f illing i n t he s mall i nner m oat . S hortly a fter 1 390 t his h ouse w as r eplaced b y am anor h ouse w ith w alls 1 .5 m . t hick . H owever i t w as d emolished i n 1 3 93 b efore i t w as c ompleted , a fter p olitical t roubles. S ome y ears l ater a s mall u nfortified h ouse w as b uilt o n o ne o f t he o ther i slands a nd t his w as f ortified w ith a p alisade d uring t he c ivil w ars i n 1 418 , a nd t wice a t s hort i ntervals d estroyed a nd r ebuilt ( Fig . 7 .10). S hortly a fter 1 500 i t w as a bandoned b ut i n 1 612 a n ew m anor h ouse w as b uilt o n t he f irst i sland. I t w as s urrounded b y t wo m oats w hich w ere i n p art f reshly d ug ( Pl . 7 .6). O riginally 3 00 a cres o f l and s urrounded t his s ite, t he o wner p ossessed m anorial r ights o ver t he v illage a nd t he a djoining p arts, a nd a lso f ishing r ights i n t he r iver Y ssel a nd s ome t ithes . N ow f or a f ew e xamples o f l ater m oated s ites . T he f irst i s a h ouse w hich w as b eing b uilt i n 1 372 a t R idderkerk , b ut w hich w as r endered p ermanently u ninhabitable i n t he f ollowing y ear b ecause o f f looding . I t w as r ectangular , 1 5 x2 0 m ., a nd c ontained o ne w ing w ith t hree f loors a nd o ne o f o nly o ne s torey . T he s econd , a t Y sselmonde, w as b uilt a bout 1 480 a nd t he s hape i s s trongly r eminiscent o f t he p revious o ne - a r ectangle 1 2 .5 x 1 5 m . w ith t wo w ings, a s quare s taircase t ower a nd a s mall c ourtyard . T he w ings h ad t wo s toreys . I n t he 1 6th c entury t he c ourtyard w as e nclosed a nd f our c orner t owers a dded w hich , c onsidering t he t hinness o f t he w alls , c ould o nly h ave s erved a d ecorative p urpose a nd h ad n o m ilitary v alue. T he d ifference b etween m oated s ite a nd c astle i s d emonstrated i n S chiedam , a t own f ounded a bout 1 260 b y a n a unt o f t he c ount . T he p lace w as s urrounded b y ad itch 1 2 m . w ide , b ut g ates a nd t own w all w ere l acking . S he o wned a m oated s ite , 3 0 x 4 5 m ., i n t he t own w ith a m oat 8 m . w ide. I nside t his w as a d welling m ade p artly o f b rick a nd p artly o f t imber , 7x 1 4 .5 m . i n s ize ( Fig . 7 .11). A round 1 270 i t b ecame t he i ntention o f t he L ady o f S chiedam f or i t t o b e u sed a s a r eligious h ouse , b ecause s he h ad b uilt a c astle o utside t he t own . T his c onsisted o f aw alled s quare 6 5 x 6 5 m . w ith s quare c orner t owers . D welling a nd d omestic b uildings w ere b uilt a gainst t he o uter w all a nd t he k eep , w ith w alls 3 m . t hick , s tood a t a c orner o f t he i nner s quare, s urrounded b y i ts o wn m oat ( Pl . 7 .7). U p t o n ow w e h ave d escribed o nly p rivate s ites . H owever t here w ere a lso a n umber o wned b y m onasteries . T hus t he A bbey o f E gmond , f ounded i n 9 50 , h ad a t l east f ive m oated s ites i n p arishes i n w hich t he A bbey h ad m any p ossessions . T wo o f t hese w ere i n t he n eighbourhood o f R otterdam i n p arishes a cquired b y t he A bbey a bout 170 . T he f irst w as m entioned i n 1 266 a nd 1 358 a nd c an s till b e s een o n am ap d ated 1 512 . I t w as a t ower n ext t o a f arm w hich w as l eased o ut i n 1 358 , t ogether w ith f ourteen a cres o f l and b elonging t o i t . T his s ite c an b e c ompared w ith o ne s till e xisting i n F riesland w hich b elonged t o a nother A bbey . T his t ower o riginally s tood o n p illars , s urrounded b y am oat . T he s econd w as r ecorded o nly i n 1 288 a nd h ad p robably a lready d isappeared b y t he 1 4th c entury . I t i s r emarkable h ow i n t he 1 6th c entury m any a bandoned m oated s ites w ere s till s hown o n d etailed m aps o n w hich t he s ites w ere o ften i ndicated b y t he w ord ' hoogwerf ', i .e . r aised s ite. I n t he a djacent Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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F ig . 7 .10
C apelle a an d en Y ssel , m oated s ite i n 1 418
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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c ounty o f Z eeland t he w ord w erf o r h oogwerf i s f ound i n t he 1 3th c entury t exts , o f w hich t he c ontemporary t ranslation i s m unitio a nd m otte. T he d omestic b uildings b elonging t o t hese s ites a re r eferred t o i n t hese t exts a s v oorhof , s ubmunitio , j ardin o r t erre d evant d it v oorhof . I n a t ext o f 199 b y t he C ount o f H olland , am oated s ite w as d escribed a s ac astrum v el m unitionem . F inally a m oated s ite o f t he C ount . T his a t K athendrecht c onsisted o f a l arge i sland o n w hich w as a b rick b arn , 1 4 x2 9 m ., a nd a b akehouse, b uilt a bout 1 290 . I n 1 308 t he s ite w ith 1 60 a cres o f l and w as s old i n f ee a nd i n 1 328 t he b arn , t he m oat a nd a dditional b uildings w ere r ecorded i n ad eed . A ll t he e xamples m entioned h ere w ere s ituated a s hort d istance f rom R otterdam a nd g ive a n i mpression o f t he a ge , d ifferences i n f orm a nd e conomic b ackgrounds o f t hese s ites. T his p icture , h owever , i s n ot c omplete; i nformation o n s ites o f y et s impler f orm i s f ound i n t he a rchives o f t he 1 4th c entury , n one o f t hem h itherto i nvestigated a rchaeologically : a round R otterdam a t l east e ight h ave a lready b een b uried f or t hree-quarters o f a c entury u nder t he c ity . T hese s maller s ites u sually h ad a bout t hirty-five t o s ixty a cres o f l and a ttached t o t hem a nd m any w ere a bandoned r ound a bout 1 400 . B y t hen t he o wners h ad a lready m oved t o t he t owns a nd l eased t he l and t o f armers w ho r emained b ehind a nd w ere t hus a ble t o e xtend t heir o wn h oldings , s omething w hich h ad b ecome e ssential s ince n ow f arming h ad g one o ver l argely t o c attle b reeding a nd a l arger a rea p er f arm w as r equired . S ince m oated s ites w ere n o l onger n eeded , t hey d isappeared a nd t heir s ites w ere l eased a long w ith t he l and. W e s hall n ow h ave t o c onsider t he o wners o f t hese s ites. I n t he f irst p lace i t a ppears t hat t he s ites w ere o riginally f ree t enements, e ven t hough t he l and t hat b elonged t o t hem w as , w holly o r i n p art, h eld i n f ee . A t t he e nd o f t he 1 3th c entury , b ut p articularly i n t he 1 4th a nd s ometimes e ven a t t he b eginning o f t he 1 5th c entury , an umber o f s ites w ere m ade f iefs f or v arious p olitical o r e conomic r easons o r w ith a v iew t o i nheritance , b ut t hese a re, h owever , e xceptions . I t i s r emarkable h ow m any s ites h ad f eudal c ourts a ttached t o t hem . O ne h undred a nd f ifty o f t hese ( at l east a t hird) c ould b e t raced i n t he c ounty o f H olland . I n o fficial l etters w e f ind r ecords o f p eople d escribed a s f eudal l ords , b ut t heir f ees a re s aid t o b e h eld o f t he f armstead o f Am an c ould o nly b e s aid t o b e s uch a l ord i f h e w as t he o wner o f t hat p articular f armstead a nd b ecause t his w as f reehold p roperty , h e w as c onsidered t o b elong t o t he f ree c lass, a nd h ad t he c haracteristic o f o wning h is o wn a llodium o r f ree l and . T he u pper s tratum o f t his c lass c onsisted o f t he n obles; t his g roup ( in t he c ourse o f t he 1 3th c entury) i ntermingled w ith t hat o f t he k nights, w hich o riginated p artly f rom b ondsmen w ho h ad r isen t o t he d ignity o f k nighthood . I t w as, o f c ourse , t his t op l ayer w hich b uilt m ottes, t owers a nd m anor h ouses o n i ts m oated s ites, w ith t he r esult t hat, i n t he 1 5th c entury t hese w ere k nown a s ' knightly h omesteads '. I n Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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t his p eriod l awsuits w ere e ntered i nto t o d etermine w hether c ertain i nhabitants o f v illages b elonged t o t he k nightly c lass ; a mongst o ther t hings, t his m eant t hat t hey r eceived c ertain t ax a dvantages. O ne o f t hese l awsuits i s r ecorded i n 1 465 i n B everwijk . T he d efend ant p roves h is p osition b y s tating , a mongst o ther t hings , t hat a lthough h e h ad s ometimes d riven a h orse a nd c art o n h is f arm , t his w as o nly f or p leasure, a nd t hat h e b elonged t o t he k nightly c lass b ecause h e l ived o n ' a m oated s ite w ith b ridges a nd a g ate'. T his f armstead , k nown a s O osterwijk o r F oreest a t B everwijk , w as t he s ubject o f a n a rchaeological s urvey a nd w as f ound t o c onsist o f a r ectangle, 2 4 x2 7 m ., s urrounded b y aw all w ith a t ower 7 .5 m . x 8m . e xternally a gainst o ne o f t he i nner c orners. T here w ere a lso t races o f ad omestic b uilding . T he w hole o f i t w as b uilt a round t he y ear 1 400, r eplacing a n o lder c omplex p ulled d own i n 1 351, s ituated o n t he s ame i sland a nd c onsisting o f a 1 3th c entury t ower , w hose e xternal d imensions w ere 9 x 9 m . T he w idth o f t he m oat w as n ot d etermined d uring t he s urvey , n or w as t he p osition o f t he f arm m entioned i n 1 465 . T he o wner o f t his c omplex d id n ot p ossess a ny r ights i n t he m anor a t B everwijk . I n t his s ame p art o f t he c ounty a nother m oated s ite c ame i nto b eing a fter a p iece o f l and f rom t he E arl 's d emesne w as s old i n 1 284. A lready i n 1 305 t he s on o f t he b uyer c alled h imself v an B erckenrode, a fter t his p roperty , a s d id h is d escendants , w ho r emained i n p ossession o f t he s ite u ntil 1 648 . I t w as d estroyed i n 1 573 , b ut p artly r estored a t t he b eginning o f t he 1 7th c entury . T he v an B erckenrode f amily l ived f rom t he e nd o f t he 1 4th c entury i n t he t own o f H aarlem . A s l ate a s t he m iddle o f t he 1 6th c entury t he c oncept o f t he ' moated s ite ' s till e xisted i n H olland . T here i s e vidence f or t his , f or e xample, i n aw ill m ade b y an obleman i n 1 543 a bout t he d isposal o f h is m anors, m anor h ouses , m oated s ites , f armhouses , l ands , t ithes, p eatlands, f isheries a nd r ents. I n t he s ame p eriod a nother n obleman w rote a h istory o f h is f amily , w hich h ad s ettled i n 199 i n t he v icinity o f R otterdam . I n t his h e n oted t hat t hey h ad n amed t heir n ewly d iked l and a fter a m oated s ite s ituated o n a n i sland i n t he e arldom o f Z eeland, w hich h ad b een t heir o riginal s eat . S o m uch f or t he l arger s ites . N ow f or a f ew o bservations o n t he o wners o f t he s maller o nes . I n t he 1 3th a nd 1 4th c enturies t hese u sually h ad n o f amily n ames ( surnames) b ut c an , h owever , b e a rranged i n f amily g roups w hich c an b e r ecognised f rom t he c oats o f a rms w hich t heir m embers u sed a s s eals . I n t he c ounty o f H olland p eople w ere v ery c onsistent i n t he b earing o f c oats o f a rms , w hich c ame . i nto u se i n t he b eginning o f t h e12 bhcentury , a nd d escendants o f t he sa m e g randfather o r g reat g randfather t ook t he s ame c oat o f a rms. I n t his w ay f amily r elationships c an b e t raced b ack t o t he i nitial f ormative p eriod . I t n ow a ppears t hat i n t he 1 4th c entury , w hen s ix t o t en m oated s ites c ould b e s ituated i n o ne p arish , t hey c an a lways b e t raced b ack t o t wo o r t hree f amilies a t t he m ost . Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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T hese f amily g roups, t oo , o ften a ppear t o b e r elated t o n obles o f g reater i mportance w ho b ore t he s ame c oat o f a rms. I n t he 1 5th c entury l awsuits w ere e ntered i nto w ithin c ertain p arishes t o d etermine w hether i nhabitants b elonged t o t he h usbandmen c lass o r t o t he p eople o f f ree b irth ( freemen). T he l atter o ften p roved t heir r ight b y h aving w itnesses d eclare t hat t hey w ere d escendants o f ' the f armstead o f ' and t herefore n ot t he d escendants o f a ny p articular p erson . N ow a f ew r emarks a bout t he r est o f t he N etherlands. I n t hat p art o f t he d iocese o f U trecht a djoining H olland a n o fficial l ist o f k nightly h ouses w as m ade o ut a bout 1 540. I t w as l aid d own i n t his t hat e very n obleman w ho w as a m ember o f t he E states m ust b e i n p ossession o f s uch a h ouse. T he l ist c ontained s ixty-three n ames. T he s ame p rocedure t ook p lace i n t he r emaining p arts o f t he d iocese, a nd t hus t he c oncept o f t he ' moated s ite ' a cquired a n ew p olitical s ignificance i n t his a rea . I n t he c ounty o f G uelders a nd t he a reas a djoining i t t o t he s outh, m oated s ites h ad t he s ame e xternal s hape a nd d istribution a s i n H olland. I n t he n orth o f t he c ounty , am ap o f t he v illage o f M arum , d ating f rom 1 860, s howed t hat t here w ere t wo o r t hree m oated s ites t here, t he d itches o f w hich w ere w ider t han t he n ormal d itches b etween t he p asture l and h oldings. I n G ermany t he r egistration o f k nightly h ouses i n t he R hineland t ook p lace a t t he s ame t ime a s t hat i n t he d iocese o f U trecht. N ormal m oated s ites a re a lso f ound h ere a s a 1 9th c entury m ap o f t he v illage o f F riesheim s hows. T he v illage l ies o n b oth s ides o f a s tream a nd i s s urrounded b y a n e mbankment a nd a d itch . W ithin t he v illage t here w ere f ive m oated s ites w ith t wo m ore o utside. U p t o a f ew y ears a go t races o f t wo o f t hem w ere s till v isible. L et u s e nd b y a sking a f ew q uestions. F irst o f a ll, h ow f ar b ack d id m oated s ites f irst a ppear? I n H olland t hey h ave b een i n e xistence s ince 8 00. A n e xcavation b y D r W inkelmann n ear R aesfield i n t he G erman R hineland s howed t hat t hey e xisted t here a t t he e nd o f t he 9 th c entury . T he o ldest m oated s ites a t H usterknupp n ear G revenbroich ( Fig . 7 .'d a nd M ehr n ear B üdderich b elong t o t he s ame p eriod a nd w ere e xcavated b y D r A . H errnbrodt a nd D r W . J anssen . I n t he N etherlands w e k now e nough f armsteads d ating f rom t he 1 st t o t he 4 th c entury A D t o b e a ble t o s ay t hat m oated s ites w ere n ot i n e xistence t hen. T heir a rrival d ates, t herefore, f rom b etween 4 00 a nd 8 00 A D , a p eriod d uring w hich t he l and t o ag reat e xtent h ad t o b e r eclaimed a new f or d evelopment. I n t his p eriod a n e vent t ook p lace o f g reat i mportance f or W estern E urope, n amely t he c onquest o f t he N etherlands a nd n orth w est G ermany b y t he F rankish k ingdom i n t he 8 th c entury . I f t he m oated s ites i n H olland h ad b een t he r esult o f t his c onquest, t hen t hey c an b e e xpected i n B elgium a nd n orthern F rance a s w ell a nd w ould d ate b ack t o t his p eriod . O n t he o ther h and t hey w ould n ot b e e xpected i n a reas w hich w ere o utside t he c onfines o f t he F rankish k ingdom s uch a s t he B ritish I sles, a nd D enmark . I t w ould b e i nteresting t o k now w hether t hey a ppeared i n E ngland b efore t he N orman c onquest i n 1 066, a s m oated s ites w ere w ell k nown i n Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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G revenbroich , H usterknupp i n 9 00
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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N ormandy . I n D enmark n ormal m oated * s ites a ppear t o d ate f rom t he l ate M iddle A ges a nd a re f ound i n p articular c lose t o t he G erman f rontier . F inally , i n aC arolingian l aw b ook c alled ' Notitia v el c ommemoratio d e i lla e wa q uae a d A morem h abet ' w hich a pplied i n t he r iver a rea o f t he m iddle N etherlands , ag roup o f p eople w as r eferred t o a s ' homines F ranci '; t hey h ad a w ergeld t hree t imes a s h igh a s t hat o f a n o rdinary f reeman . I n t he 8 th a nd 9 th c enturies w e f ind t hese ' homines F ranci ' p resenting e states a nd p roperties i n t his a rea t o t he g reat F rankish a bbeys . A round 8 10 t hey w ere a lso r ecorded i n t he e arldom o f Z eeland , a s i t w as t o b ecome , w here t hey a ppear t o h ave h ad a m ilitary f unction . A re w e a ble t o m ake a c onnection b etween t his g roup o f p eople a nd t he o ldest m oated s ites i n t his a rea? T his i s aq uestion w hich c annot b e a nswered w ithout t he r isk o f w andering i nto t he m isleading a nd u nproven r ealms o f f antasy .
B IBLIOGRAPHY G orissen , F . 1 959, ' Die B urgen i m R eich v on N imwegen ', i n N iederR heinisches J ahrbuch , K refeld 1 959, p p. 1 05168 . D roege, G . ' Ueber d ie R echtstellung d er B urgen u nd f esten H äuser i m s pateren M ittelalter ', i bid , p p . 2 2-27. W elters, H . p p . 3 1-37.
' Lechenich-Bastion i n k urkölnischen B urgengurtel ', i bid ,
H inz ? , H . 1 ?62 , an umber o f p apers i n K irche u nd B urg i n d er A rchaeologie d es R heinlandes, D usseldorf , p p . 1 31-1g0 . W inkelmann , W . 1 951, ' Ein s pgtkarolingischer H of b ei R aesfeld , K r . B orken ', W estfälischer H eimatkalender , p p . 1 67-169. L efranc, G . L ille .
1 976, V estiges d e m otte sfeodales e n F landre i nterieure,
P esez , J . M . a nd P iponnier , F . 1 972 , ' Les m aison-fortes B ourguignonnes ', C hateau G aillard , C aen , p p . 1 43-164 . H oek , C . 1 972, ' De o ntwikkeling g edurende d e d ertiende e euw v an h et v erdedigbare b akstenen h uis i n h et M aasmond ', H olland, p p . 2 01-239. H oek , C . 1 975, ' Schiedam , e en h istorisch a rcheologisch s tadsonderzoek ! , H olland , p p . 8 9-195. H oek , C . 1 965, ' De w oning v an h eer D irk v an H odenpijl t e O verschie ', D e N ederlandsche L eeuw , p p . 1 -19, 3 2-58 , 6 6-90 , 1 95-210 . L orren , C . 1 977, ' Le c hâteau d e R ubercy ( Calvados): e tude d e l a d emeure p rincipal ( 1150-1204)', A rcheologie M 6dievale, V II, p p . 1 091 78 .
Aberg, F.A, and A.E Brown. Medieval Moated Sites In North-West Europe. E-book, Oxford, UK: BAR Publishing, 1981, https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860541479. Downloaded on behalf of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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