More information : (TR 03382548) Moat (NR)
(TR 03492550) An undescribed enclosure (1)
Two oval enclosures (as above) on the air photograph (Fig. 77A)
mark the probable site of two moated manor houses. (2)
Two, almost contiquous, sub-circular enclosures situated on the
general level of the Romney Marsh. The westernmost, at TR 03372548, has a water-filled ditch with a slight inner-bank and a probably
original entrance causeway on the SW side. The interior is strewn with broken tiles and a little stone rubble.
The easternmost enclosure, at TR 03492549, is a slightly small and
weaker work.
The ditch is dry with the vestigial remains of an outer bank and a
causeway at the NE corner. Within it is a slight horseshoe-shaped
mound. This site was under pastue at time of visit; no building debris was visible.
Published survey correct. (3)
The eastern enclosure is named as 'St. John's Field' and 'Hospital
Field' on the tithe map. This is an alternative site for a medieval
hospital - see TR 02 SE 4. (4)
The eastern enclosure has now been ploughed out. (5)
TR 033255. Manor House, Old Romney is listed in the County checklist of moated sites in Kent - December 1979. (6,7)
Known also as St John's Glebe the eastern enclosure revealed human
remains and building debris during ploughing in 1970. An earthen
bank apparently connected it to the moated area to the west. The
burials were concentrated to the south and south-west of the building debris and contained a stone-lined grave covered by two large pieces of limestone which was removed and reconstructed in Old Romney churchyard. The building debris was suggestive of a large building
and a trial trench revealed an east-west wall foundation over a metre
in width. (8)
The westernmost site, the dry moat at TR 034254 revealed wall
foundation and medieval debris during an investigation of plough-damage and trial excavations. (9)
The moat survives as a narrow ditch of penannular form with an entrance causeway as depicted on the OS map. The interior, however, is cultivated along with the surrounding field and was under a ripening wheat crop when visited. The OS map shows the site to be adjacent to an earthwork enclosure. This has now been ploughed out, but investigation in 1970 found that the enclosure had contained a large building - field name evidence suggests a hospital - and a burial ground. An earthen bank - now disappeared - was found to be linking the moated site with the hospital site. Scheduling is not recommended at this time. (10) |