Monument record 2845/1 - Twiss Green

Medieval moat at Tanners farm, Twiss Green. Little Twiss was attached to the Culcheth quarter of the township. Roger del Twiss was a tenant of Richard de Culcheth in 1276. However Twiss may have been attached to the Holcroft holding at Hurst. In 1314 Hugh del Twiss obtained 3 messuages and land from Thomas de Holcroft. Before c.1540 John de Culcheth bought the Twiss from Thomas Holcroft of the Hurst (1).

Moat not shown on Tithe map and it was first noted in 1981 after the farmer approached the Liverpool University Rescue Unit with an enquiry regarding unexplained earthworks adjacent to the farm buildings. The platform is marked on the tithe plan as a tree-covered enclosure east of a pair of farm buildings (2).

In 1982 David Freke carried out a total excavation at Twiss Green, adjacent to the modern farmyard of Tanner's farm. Work showed that the maot was not a primary feature but was dug in the 15th century partly destroying a building set on a N-S alignment. Without exception the wall lines had been truncated by the north arm of the moat. The moated area was smaller than expected, 25m x 30m, originally it had been lined with clay and was probably 15th century in date. There was a widening in the moat at the south west corner where the moat was fed through a leet by a brook. 17th century pottery was found in the east arm of the moat suggesting that the final silting of the moat occurred at this time. There was probably a bridge over the west arm as lower timbers were found preserved in waterlogged silts. Bridge possibly of 2 phases dating from period 11th - 16th centuries. The surviving evidence from the house indicates a timber dwelling built upon low stone walls and divided into three rooms by wooden partitions. The hearth faced south presumably into the parlour. No evidence of a door was found but it was probably on the west wall, facing the bridge. Likely to have a predecessor. Medieval buildings stood on the site before it was moated. A sequence of ancillary buildings tood to the north. A well was found in the south west corner of the platform, cut 4m into sandstone. The site was abandoned in the late 17th century when the Twiss Green estate was split into two farms (3).

<1> Farrer W & Brownbill J, 1906-14, The Victoria County History of the County of Lancaster, 164/1911 Farrer W & Brownbill J (eds) 1906-14 (Book). SCH3636.

<2> Lewis J, 2000, The Medieval Earthworks of the Hundred of West Derby, /213 (Monograph). SCH3778.

<3> Freke D, 1984, Tanners farm Excavation (Unpublished Document). SCH3784.

<4> Archaeopress, 2018, Barrow Old Hall and Twiss Green: Investigations of two sub-manorial estate centres within the townships of Bold and Culcheth in the Hundred of Warrington 1982-87 (Book). SCH9482.

Publication of the archaeological excavations from the 1980s