More information : [TL 6885 0278] Killegrews [TI] MOAT [GT] (1)
KILLEGREWS [GT] (2)
Killegrews, formerly Shenfield, was almost entirely rebuilt in E. 18th c. One of the ground floor rooms is lined with E. 17thc panelling. The rectangular moat is revetted on the inner face with walls of E. 16th c. brick. Octagonal brick turrets at the N.W. and S.W. angles are also E. 16th c.
Condition - good. House and brick turrets Grade II* (3-4)
Killegrews, name verified; is as described and has little
modern addition. The 16th century turrets are in good
condition, as is the inner moat revetting. Outstanding - see
photographs.
The moat is complete, waterfilled, and measures overall circa 70.0m sub-square.
Published survey (25") correct. (5)
TL 68860278 (centred). The house, Killegrews (name confirmed), is as described externally, although with more modern extensions to rear, and is now subdivided into two dwellings owned separately.
The moat around the house is trapezoidal, c. 70m N-S on the W, reducing to c. 55 on the E, by 70m E-W. The original drive came straight off the London Road (now the A12) and approached the site from the W, so that the main house frontage, the longest side of the moat and the two octagonal corner turrets would all have served to impress the oncoming visitor. However, in the 19thc the railway served this access, and the approach since then has been from the N before swinging back onto the original line for the final 50m. NW of the point where the two blocks meet is a large rectangular 'pond' feature, with its sides pushed in places and the bottom somewhat irregular, but with a certain angularity and form to its plan suggesting it is more than a gravel pit. It is somewhat large to be a fishpond, and could possibly have been purely ornamental designed again to impress approaching visitors, although against this hypothesis is the fact that it seems to lie slightly askew to line of the western approach. It is shown to be of some antiquity, however, since the re-routed 19thc track cuts its NE corner. (The feature has not been surveyed).
The inner face of the moat is brick-lined extending above ground level to form a crenellated garden wall, subsequently lowered in front of the house between the corner turrets, probably at the time of the Georgian remodelling of the Tudor house. The outer edge of the W arm is also brick-lined, although probably dating from a later period; the remainder of the outer face is revetted by wood. The original bridge over the W arm has been widened slightly by the addition of metal girders either side. The bridge over the E arm was replaced by a causeway some 30-40 years ago.
There are suggestions of a low retaining bank to the E arm, but the feature seems better explained as one of three slight terraces running N-S through the garden as it falls gently to the River Wid. The moat itself lies on level ground in the wide bottom of the valley and no external damming would really have been necessary.
Foundations are frequently encountered during gardening on the island, and wall lines also show up as parch marks in dry weather. These are thought by Mr and Mrs Burnett (part owners of the property) to belong to the original Tudor house almost completely swept away by the Georgian remodelling. A low building platform upto 0.2m high lies immediately NW of the moat. Mrs Burnett said this was meant to be the site of the Tudor chaple.
No change to published survey at 1:2500. (6)
TL 688 028. Killigrews Moated Site. Scheduled 167. (7)
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