More information : (SE 60963807) Wheel Hall on site of (NAT) Palace (NR) Moat (NR) (1) La Wel Hall (now a farm house called Wheel Hall), an ancient episcopal palace belonging to the See of Durham. There are extensive foundations surrounded by three moats, the river forming the boundary on the W. (2) The Bishop of Durham's manor house of Wheel Hall was mentioned in the early 14th century and in the 16th century when repairs were made, including the chapel and 'the drawdike about the manor'. The hall has been replaced by an 18th century farmhouse but traces of the surrounding moat were still visible in 1972. The bishop's park at Riccall was mentioned in 1311 and one of his closer near Wheel Hall was called the Park in the 16th century. (3) SE 609382. Unclassified moat at Wheel Hall. Triple moats reported in 1947, but stub on one moat alone still visible. River Ouse would form one side of enclosure. (4) (SE 60983818) Moat (NR) (5)
Only one arm of the moat, as recorded above, was visible as an earthwork on air photographs; it is approximately 90 m in length and lies on the north-west. A rectangular depression and attached length of bank, seen as earthworks on the same photography, may represent the site of a former building, approximately 16 m by 12 m, located at SE 6094 3820. (6)
Demesne manor house of Bishop of Durham, usually farmed out (Le Patourel, Moated site of Yorkshire 1973 p115). Only two arms of this moat are marked on the 1:10,000. These are infilled in places and the interior forms part of a ploughed field. There are no other soil mark or earthwork remains visible. The site is thus not proposed for scheduling as it is not identified to be of national importance. (7)
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