| Summary : The earthworks of a moated island with two further moat ditches to the west. During the medieval period, before the extensive drainage works of the 18th and 19th centuries, the land would have been more marshy. In this area moats were primarily dug to aid drainage, with the excavated material used to raise the ground surface on the enclosed islands to provide drier areas for buildings and small horticultural plots. The low lying land between Doncaster and the River Aire was held by the Newmarch family from 1183 and research conducted by the Wood Hall Moated Manor Project suggests that the area was systematically exploited by this family throughout the 13th century, with the construction of a series of moated sites. The main axis of the moated island lies north-south and is about 50 metres by 20 metres, surrounded by a moat ditch up to 1.6 metres deep. The northern half of the island rises up to 1.3 metres above the surrounding ground surface, with the southern part of the island being lower, but still 0.4 metres higher than the ground surface beyond the moat to the east. To the west of the island there are uncompleted moat ditches that are considered to have been intended as the boundaries of up to two further islands. The southern arm of the completed moat extends about 20 metres further westwards beyond the western side of the island and then turns northwards for about 35 metres. The area thus partly enclosed nearly forms a second island. It is slightly higher than the surrounding ground surface with a definite bank along its southern side. Its north side is delineated by a separate east-west moat ditch which starts from about 5 metres west of the ditch around the island and runs for about 60 metres, 5 metres north of the northern end of the westernmost north south ditch. This 60 metre long ditch has a definite northward pointing corner at its western end suggesting that it may have been intended as the southern side of a third island. Scheduled. |