List entry Summary
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Name: Medieval moated site, Lovehurst Manor
List entry Number: 1013122
Location
The monument may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
| County |
District |
District Type |
Parish |
| Kent | Maidstone | District Authority | Staplehurst |
National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.
Grade: Not applicable to this List entry.
Date first scheduled: 13-Jul-1990
Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.
Legacy System Information
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System: RSM
UID: 12720
Asset Groupings
This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.
List entry Description
Summary of Monument
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Reasons for Designation
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.
Lovehurst moated site is of particular importance because the moat survives to
a greater extent than most examples, therefore exhibiting considerable
diversity of features including a section of outer retaining bank and a well-
defined integral fishpond. The moat, although partially scoured, remains of
high archaeological potential because it has remained water-filled throughout
its history and therefore provides excellent conditions for the survival of
perishable artefacts and of evidence of the economy and environment of the
manor during its lifetime.
History
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Details
The moated site at Lovehurst comprises a sub-circular moat 8-10m wide which is
held back on the south side by an external bank and which encloses an island
ca.45m in diameter. On the west side a stream enters the moat via a
rectangular extension to the moat which was probably a former fishpond. An
18th century house with a 17th century timber-framed core occupies the centre
of the moat island but is excluded from the scheduling (listed Grade II).
Moats are generally seen as prestigious residences of the Lords of the Manor.
The moat not only marked the high status of the occupier but also served to
deter casual raiders and wild animals. Most moated sites were constructed
between 1250 and 1350, and it is to this period that the moat at Lovehurst is
likely to date although an earlier date is also possible. No evidence of the
original buildings presumed to have occupied the site survive above ground.
In addition to the house on the island, part of the moat island is now
occupied by a twin oast and drying floor, but the oasts and any other
upstanding structures within the scheduled area are excluded from the
scheduling although the ground beneath these structures is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
Selected Sources
- Book Reference - Title: Listed Buildings Vol 1415 3/150 - Type: DESC TEXT
- Book Reference - Author: Darvill, T. - Title: MPP Single Monument Class Description - Moats - Date: 1988 - Type: DESC TEXT
National Grid Reference: TQ 77830 41352
Map
© Crown Copyright and database right 2012. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100019088.
© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2012. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1013122.pdf
This copy shows the entry on 21-May-2013 at 11:53:26.