Scheduled Monument: Moated Site, Fishpond and Connnecting Channel, Elton (1012122)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Moated site, fishpond and connnecting channel, Elton PARISH: ELTON DISTRICT: CHESTER COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 13436 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ45537481 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument at Elton comprises a moated site possessing a causeway and outer banks with an adjoining fishpond and connecting channel. The moated site at Elton consists of a slightly raised island c.30m square from which some stone foundations have in the past been removed. The island is surrounded on all sides by a moat c.12m wide x 1.7m max. depth. The W arm is marshy but elsewhere the moat is dry. A causeway gives access to the island across the N arm of the moat and wide outer banks exist on the N and S sides of the moat. A short distance to the N is a waterlogged/silted fishpond linked to the NW corner of the moat by a channel now utilised by a modern field drain. Most moats were constructed between 1250-1350 and are generally seen as the prestigious residences of the Lords of the manor. The moat in such circumstances marked the high status of the occupier and also served to deter casual raiders and wild animals. The hedged field boundary at the W of the monument is excluded from the scheduling, however, the ground beneath it is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England. They consist of wide ditches, often or seasonally water-filled, partly or completely enclosing one or more islands of dry ground on which stood domestic or religious buildings. In some cases the islands were used for horticulture. The majority of moated sites served as prestigious aristocratic and seigneurial residences with the provision of a moat intended as a status symbol rather than a practical military defence. The peak period during which moated sites were built was between about 1250 and 1350 and by far the greatest concentration lies in central and eastern parts of England. However, moated sites were built throughout the medieval period, are widely scattered throughout England and exhibit a high level of diversity in their forms and sizes. They form a significant class of medieval monument and are important for the understanding of the distribution of wealth and status in the countryside. Many examples provide conditions favourable to the survival of organic remains. The moated site at Elton contains a diversity of component parts and survives in a relatively undamaged condition, virtually untouched by modern development. The site retains considerable archaeological potential for the recovery of evidence of the building that originally occupied the island. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 6th October 1978 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Cheshire 112 NAME: Moated Site, Elton The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 13436 NAME: Moated site, fishpond and connnecting channel, Elton SCHEDULING REVISED ON 22nd May 1991