More information : (SP 439 330) Moat (NR) (1)
A moat about 7ft.deep and 56ft.wide runs on the north and west of an area which is roughly the shape of an irregular pentagon and which is divided into two courts by a raised platform about 2ft.high in the NW corner. This probably marked the site of the buildings, the remainder of the area being an open court, round the north and east edges of which is a slight bank. The moat on the south is now very slight; the standing water to the east is no doubt the remains of the defences which ran along this side and were continued to the west. A small horse-shoe shaped work on the north is evidently the site of an out-building. Centred at (SP 4396 3302). (2)
The moated enclosure is of semi-circular form, the interior being of two levels as described in the VCH. There is no sign of a building site, but local information says that walling was encountered during digging for land drainage. There is a causewayed entrance to the north. The broad straight moat which borders the southern side extends well beyond the enclosure flanking low ground to the east and higher ground to the west. Here there are several scooped platforms which indicate medieval desertion or shrinkage. Re-surveyed at 1:2500 (3)
Besides the known moated site and large rectangular fishpond S.& SE. of the village, house foundations, holloways and crofts S. and NW. of the village were found probably indicating a former larger medieval settlement. (4)
The medieval moat referred to above (Sources 1-4) was visible as earthworks on aerial photographs and has been mapped as part of the SE Warwickshire and Cotswolds HLS NMP project. The moat is located to the southeast of the village and is clearly defined by a wide ditch on four sides. The south side extends eastwards towards the stream and the westwards towards what is interpreted as a possibly later fishpond (SP43481 33025), probably utilising the existing ditch of the moat as a feeder for the pond. Internally the island shows a platform in the northwest corner and slight banks and ditches in the southeast corner, possibly representing outbuildings. The possibly original entrance is visible on the northern side as a causeway at SP 43958 33056, though there is another bank within the ditch on the north side, but is lower than the island. This may be a later feature as it is not represented on the historic Ordnance Survey Maps (1881, 1900, 1923). Further information is available from the Oxfordshire HER (No’s. 1144 and 4118). The moat and fishpond are still visible as earthworks on recent aerial photographs taken in 2009. (5-7)
The features relating to the village shrinkage described in Sources 3 and 4 have been recorded separately in Monument Number 1567392. (8)
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