| Summary : The remains of the medieval moated manor house site on Vivers Hill, overlooking Kirbymoorside. The moated manor house site known as Vivers Hill Castle was inhabited by the Stuteville family by 1200. It is sited on a hillside just below the spring line. The moat is a well preserved earthwork with a ditch typically over 2.5 metres deep and 8 metres wide with a slight bank on its external side. It encloses a roughly rectangular island, circa 90 metres by 70 metres, which is slightly raised and divided into three west facing terraces. The island contains a number of low earthwork features, especially on the two uppermost terraces, which are interpreted to be the remains of buildings and other features. The lowest terrace is noticeably flat and may have been a garden. The moat ditches on the north and south sides of the island run downhill and would not have contained standing water. Instead, these would have been used for drainage, the south ditch still acting as a seasonal stream course. The east and west moat ditches follow the contours of the hillside and would have contained standing water. These, especially the uphill eastern ditch which broadens to a still quite boggy circa 15 metre wide area, are considered to have formed fishponds. Approximately 20 metres to the east of the main moat there is a circa 5 metre wide ditch that runs north west to south east, parallel to the edge of the eastern fishpond. The area between this second moat ditch and the fishpond also retains a number of low earthworks amongst the trees. |
More information : SE 69968678 Castle (NR) (Site of) (NAT). Moat (NR). (1)
Remains of the 13th century castle and moat of the Stuteville family were visible to Illingworth but Pevsner could only trace the moat. Le Patourel refers to the site as "Stuteville manor" with fishponds and a moat (modified in the 19th century) that should date before 1300. Plan (5). (2-5)
Situated at the top of a south west facing slope and now overgrown by thick Hawthorn bushes, trees and hedges which have protected it but now hide its position from the surrounding area, are the remains of a rectangular moat measuring about 96.0m east to west 72.0m north to south between the centres of a now dry ditch about 12.0m wide on the north, west and south and about 22.0m maximum on the east and 2.3m maximum depth. A stream runs along the bottom of the ditch in the south east corner and south side. There are traces of outer banks along the west and the north sides.
The slightly sloping central area (about 80.0m east to west by 60.0m north to south) shows traces of lynchetting as its east end and remains of a tennis court in the north west corner but no evidence of any building.
Running near parallel to, but about 23.0m outside, the ditch in the east is a bank and outer ditch about 90.0m long. It curves around to the north west at its north end but the fields here and at its south end have been ploughed and there is nothing to suggest it continued though it is quite possible that it did. Although of slighter proportions than the main moat it is most probable that this is a contemporary outwork to protect the easy approach from the east.
The area is overrun with footpaths and erosion has mutilated parts and it is not possible to determine where the original entrance was.
The site probably represents a fortified manor house.
Published Survey (25") Revised.
The east end of the ditch is shallower and broader than the other sides and may have been utilised as a fishpond (as suggested on Hayes sketch plan) but there is no way to confirm this.
At SE 69858682 are the quite substantial remains of a
rectangular hollow area (about 55.0m north to south by 25.0m) scooped out of the hill slope with the earth built up around the NW and S sides forming a huge rampart. (It is marked on the 1912 25" as "Old Reservoir" and locally known as such). It has obviously been constructed to hold water but it is difficult to say if it is contemporary with the moat and a fishpond as suggested on Hayes sketch plan. (Though he has no evidence to support this theory). It is not typical of usual fish-ponds in form or position and appears more recent than the moat and is probably later. Published Survey (25") Correct. (6)
Listed as a castle by Cathcart King, who also states that it 'may very well be a strong house'. (8) |