Record Details

Summary

A scheduled medieval moated site of 13th-14th century date. A substantial moat survives, along with associated fishponds and pond bays (although all are now dry). The moat has suffered some damage through ploughing and possibly also by marl quarrying.

Monument Type(s):

• MOAT (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• FISHPOND (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• POND BAY (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)

Associated Finds:

• ANIMAL BELL (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• ARROWHEAD (Norman to Tudor - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• AXE (WEAPON) (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• BLADE? (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• CHAIN (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• KEY (LOCKING) (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• LANCE (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• LOCK (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• NAIL (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• PLANT REMAINS? (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• SCABBARD (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• SHERD (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• SHOE (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• STRUCTURAL TIMBER (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• WORKED OBJECT (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• WORKED OBJECT (MEDIEVAL - 1066 AD to 1485 AD)
• AXE (TOOL) (Norman to MEDIEVAL - 1200 AD to 1399 AD)
• COIN (MEDIEVAL - 1282 AD to 1285 AD)
• HORSESHOE (MEDIEVAL - 1300 AD? to 1334 AD?)

Associated Events:

• EST179 - An archaeological rescue excavation at Hyde Lea moated site in 1980. (NRHE Name - Hyde Lea)
• EST3690 - An archaeological excavation at Hyde Lea, Coppenhall in 1962. (NRHE Name - Hyde Lea)

Protected Status:

• Scheduled Monument 1011064: Hyde Lea moated site and fishpond
• SHINE: Earthworks associated with the Scheduled remains of Hyde Lea medieval moat and fishponds, west of Hyde Lea.

Full description

A homestead moat at Coppenhall Gorse. Oval with various outlying works; dry. Outside measurements 45ft by 400ft. Altitude 353ft. <1> <2>

'The Moats': Site of manor house which including all the embankments and ditches it covers an area of 30 acres. At the head of a valley to the north-west of a plateau on which Hyde Lea village stands. An inquest of 1372 refers to the manor of Hyde containing a messuage and two fishponds. Apparently the manor house had been granted away by 1387. The site was surveyed by Simpson in 1951, who suggested that the grass covered rubble mounds forming an 'L' shaped plateau in the centre represent the remains of buildings. There are faint indications of a bridge on the east side. Depressions to the north-east and east are thought to have contained fishponds. Excavations in the central area indicated a 13th/14th century occupation, with finds including pottery, an Edward I coin, animal bone etc. <3> <4>

The inclusion of the element 'Park' in eleven of the surrounding field names indicate a probable important early dwelling. <5> <6>

The bank on the north-east side of the moat, separating it from the fishpond, has recently been strengthen with additional material and that part of the moat adjacent to it contained water at the time of investigation (October 1974). Ploughing has destroyed the bank on the west side of the moat. <7>

A large moated site on Keuper Marl, situated on low ground at the head of the Rising Brook. The enclosed area is of an irregular pentagonal plan. The moat is now dry but has a marshy bottom from which springs the Rising Brook. It has an outer bank on the west side and at the north-east. The island has been dug into slightly on the south-east and here the outer scarp of the moat is absent, perhaps quarried away by old marl workings. A large fishpond lies immediately to the north-east of the moat. It is dammed by a large pond bay at its lower end and the outer bank of the moat served to retain this. The site is now dry. 400 metres further along the Rising Brook the valley is dammed again by a large pond bay to form another fishpond, also now dry and occupied by a copse known as the 'Drumble'. <8>

Timbers up to 4 metres in length and 0.25 metres wide with mortise joint holes have been recorded as coming from Hyde Lea Moat. (SB, 16-Nov-2011) <9>

In the spring of 1980 rescue excavations were carried out at this extensive medieval moated site. The area comprises a large two-level island, surrounded by a wide, wet moat, two fishponds, mill leats, a mill dame and mill site. Medieval road systems, which follow the perimeter of the medieval manor, are also present. In order to lower the water table and drain the fields the farmer decided to deepen and widen the moat surrounding the island. This entailed the complete removal of medieval waterlogged deposits and the wealth of environmental material contained within them. Large timbers were recovered which probably formed part of the medieval bridge. Metal objects survived exceptionally well and included axes, fetterlocks, a large chain and arrowheads. Leather shoes and scabbards were also recovered. The rescue excavation revealed evidence for at least two main phases of occupation before abandonment, probably in the 15th or 16th century. (SB, 03-Feb-2015) <10>

The four arms of the moat are water-filled and measure up to 20 metres wide. The moat was cleared out by drag line in 1980 and is now fed by surface drainage. The south eastern moat ditch extends a further 20 metres eastwards to form a pond area. A slight break in the outer scarp of the moat and its southern extent may represent the location of an inlet channel, or old marl workings. There were originally external banks on the south western and western edges of the moated site which were heavily disturbed by ploughing before 1974. There is now no surface evidence of the external banks and the area to the west and south west of the moated site is not included in the scheduling.
The moated island measures 90 metres north-south and 70 metres west-east and is raised above the surrounding ground surface. The ground surface of the northern part of the island is slightly lower that that to the south. This forms a subsidiary platform which measures approximately 20 metres north-south and 50 metres west-east. There are no standing buildings on the moated island but there are slight earthworks indicating the position of buried features. The original access onto the island is believed to have been by a timber bridge across the eastern arm of the moat, but access is currently by way of a modern causeway across the western arm. Small scale excavations in 1951, 1960 and 1961 and an auger survey on the island provided evidence for occupation of the moated site. Artefacts recovered included 13th and 14th century pottery, charcoal, animal bones and an early 14th century silver coin.
The fishpond to the north-west of the moated site is separated from the eastern arm of the moat by a causeway. The fishpond is now dry and is triangular in plan. The pond is bounded on its east side by a retaining bank which measures approximately 2.5 metres high and up to 18 metres wide. This retaining bank has been breached by the Rising Brook which rises within the site and now flows south-west to north-east across the pond area. The remains of a hollow way, bounded by slight outer banks, can be traced as a shallow depression running west-east from the southern edge of the fishpond.
Hyde Lea moated site is considered to be the centre for the manor of Hyde. The lands known as the Hydes were granted to William Bagot in circa 1140. The Bagots continued to hold the manor of Hyde until circa 1340 when the site was taken over by Ralph, the first Earl of Stafford. An inquest in 1372 reveals that the manor of Hyde included two fishponds. By 1387 the manor house at Hyde appears to have been granted away by the second Earl of Stafford. The dearth of documentary references to the manor of Hyde after the mid 16th century would suggest that the manor ceased to exist as a separate estate after this date. (SB, 03-Feb-2015) <11>

Following the dragging of the moat in May 1980 archaeological rescue work was undertaken on the site to gather as much information and artefactual evidence as possible. The moat platform was, at this time, planted with conifers and remained untouched. Spoil heaps comprising of the excavated moat fill were carefully examined. Large amounts of pottery and leather work were found as well as a fair number of metal work finds (all of which were sent to the Potteries Museum in Stoke). Two large timbers of 2 and 4 metres respectively were also recovered from the moat. These timbers still had joint and peg holes visible and were considered to be part of a possible bridge structure. Unfortunately no C14 of dendrochronology dates could be gained from the timbers. <12>

Excavated 1961-1962 by a group of teachers and pupils from the then King Edward's Grammar School in Stafford. This group examined the site itself and dug a number of exploratory trenches both on the moat platform and the moat's dam. They also carried out some documentary research. The group agreed with the basic theory of development put forward in the 1950s, except for the sequence of the two dams. The group believed that the outer or eastern dam had been constructed before the inner moat dam. (SB, 04-Feb-2015) <12> <13>

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