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Summary

Medieval fishponds 380m south east of Nursery Lodge, Caistor.

Full description

A small group of four fishponds lying 1km west of Caistor Church. They sit alongside a small west-flowing stream, which is fed by springs emerging from the base of the small promontory on which the town of Caistor stands. The stream now runs in a channel, in places over 2m deep, but it is cut through the cover sands to the underlying clay. The site has been somewhat damaged, but consists of two roughly triangular ponds up to 0.5m deep at their west ends, and becoming shallower to their east. Each has a dam 1m in height on the west, which form a continuous bank. Another smaller pond, approximately 0.75m deep is set into the lower eastern end of the broad bank dividing the two main ponds. It is probably a fish-breeding or sorting tank. A fourth larger and more irregular pond does not have a dam; it slopes gently north towards the stream and has a small island within it. Slight traces of a hollow on the south bank. Sluices here and at the other narrow gaps in the banks would have allowed close control of water flow and discharge, either across the meadow to the west or back into the stream. {1}{2}

The monument includes the remains of a fishpond complex believed to be medieval in origin. The series of fishponds, leats, and dams cover an area measuring 110m by 90m situated to the north of Navigation Lane. The ponds and leats are now dry. {3}

<1> P.L. Everson, C.C. Taylor and C.J. Dunn, 1991, Change and Continuity: Rural Settlement in North-West Lincolnshire, pp.51, 81; Fig. 65; Archive (Bibliographic Reference). SLI1063.

<2> Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1992-1996, National Mapping Programme, TA 1001: LI.237.5.1-2 (Map). SLI3613.

<3> English Heritage, 1999, Scheduling document 31621, MPP 22 (Scheduling Record). SLI5369.

Monument Types

• FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Field observation of fishponds

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument
• SHINE

Sources and further reading

Related records

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