Scheduled Monument: Moated Site And Fishponds 500m SE Of Eaton (1011794)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Moated site and fishponds 500m SE of Eaton PARISH: RUSHTON DISTRICT: VALE ROYAL COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 13460 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ57906311 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument comprises a moated site, considered to be the site of Rushton Hall medieval mansion house, and associated fishponds. The site includes a grassy island measuring c.55m x 36m surrounded on three sides by a dry moat 9- 10m max. width x 1.5m deep. An outer bank 10m x 0.5m max. flanks the NW and SW arms of the moat. Adjacent to the SW side of the island is a dry fishpond flanked on its W and S sides by an extension of the outer bank. A second fishpond surrounds the NW and NE sides of the site. This pond is flanked by an outer bank along the W part of its N side. The medieval house of Rushton Hall was rebuilt in the 17th century and held by the Hinton family. It was sold in 1864 and today there is no trace of any building on the level island. All field boundaries are excluded from the scheduling, however, the ground beneath them 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 of Rushton Hall survives well and remains virtually unencumbered by modern development. The site retains considerable archaeological potential for the recovery of evidence of the structural remains of two known building phases of Rushton Hall. SCHEDULING HISTORY Monument included in the Schedule on 15th October 1981 as: COUNTY/NUMBER: Cheshire 115 NAME: Moated site 500m SE of Eaton, Rushton The reference of this monument is now: NATIONAL MONUMENT NUMBER: 13460 NAME: Moated site and fishponds 500m SE of Eaton SCHEDULING REVISED ON 06th November 1991