Moated Sites

Moated sites shown on a map of 1860

Ancient Earthworks

Modern redevelopment has swept away many of our older land features, but some are still out there if you know where to look for them. There are at least four moated sites in the catchment of Bentley and Arksey and many of us will probably have discovered at least one of them during our childhoods, as convenient fishing ponds no doubt. But how many of us know when they were created and what their purpose was? In this article we look at the four most prominent moated sites in the area and find out if there was more to them than just an interesting place to catch sticklebacks. 

Contents

• Round About Moat
• Moat Hills
• Radcliffe Moat
• Tilts Moat

Round About Moat

Round About Moat, Arksey on a map of 1891

The above map shows the location and shape of Round About Moat. Lying in a field just off the west end of Marsh Lane it has by some small miracle survived the building of the East Coast Main Line which literally clips the edge of the western arm of the moat.

The moat has a raised rectangular platform measuring approximately 30m x 50m. Surrounded by a water filled ditch it is entered by a causeway near the centre of the north side. It appears that the moat has been extended at its north east corner to provide an integral fish pond. 

There are also indications of a secondary enclosure to the north, with traces of a dried up moat, although this is not shown on any maps. The name Round About Moat possibly comes from a circular path on the central platform, it has been suggested.

The Round About Moat aerial photo from 2009. Google Earth

This medieval scheduled monument has never been fully excavated, however, probing has revealed the existence of stonework below the ground surface of the grass covered interior. Fourteenth and fifteenth century pottery sherds have also been found there. 

The Round About Moat has been described as a 'Fortified Manor House', although this is unlikely. The most reasonable explanation is that it was a moated domestic dwelling. Around 6,000 moated sites exist in England with the biggest concentration of them to be found in central and eastern England. Many of these moated sites were built between 1250 and 1350, and while some were for manor houses, most were built for domestic or religious purposes. 

Today, the site (which lies on private land) is inaccessible to the public, however in the 1970's it was a favourite hang-out for local children, and school study trips. 

The last time I was able to visit the moat was in 1981 when I took the following two photos. They were taken from a couple of points along the south side, looking up the eastern arm of the moat. Visible is the algae covered water of the moat and various fallen trees.

Fallen trees dominate the scene at the moat in 1981

The moat 1981

This photo (below) was taken in the spring of 2009 from Marsh Lane. It shows the trees on the eastern side of the enclosure. The standing water in the foreground is probably a modern feature.

Tree line of the eastern side of the moat

This photo (below) shows the now fenced off moat in 2009. The trees border the moat and the green fence on the left is the railway boundary. 

South side of the moat from the footpath between the railway and Arksey, 2009

Moat Hills

Moat Hills on a map of 1903

Moat Hills is the name of an extensive earthwork which lies to the south of Arksey Lane and can be accessed via Millfield Road.

It is thought to have been constructed by the Newmarch family no later than 1379. This family were early Lords of the Manor and were responsible for building Arksey church. It was later used by the Cooke family until they had Wheatley Hall built in 1683.

A aerial view of Moat Hills in 2008. Google Earth

The site consists of a large double enclosure surrounded by a moat. It is divided in two by a north west - south east running ditch. The larger eastern island measures around 70m x 70m, while the smaller western island measures about 60m x 60m. The eastern island has the remains of a stone wall and a bank which suggests a revetment wall. Building foundations measuring around 30m x 25m suggest that this was the site of the 'hall'. 

The western enclosure has a depression which indicates the remains of a fishpond. A causeway crossing the central ditch links the two islands and there are remains of a stone gatehouse nearby.

The site is thought to have had a chapel as a font bowl was found there in 1884. The font was kept in Arksey Church until it was gifted to All Saints Church in Intake in the 1950's by Reverend H H Naylor, where it was renovated and installed in the newly built church.

The Moat Hills font while in storage at Arksey church

Radcliffe Moat

Radcliffe Moat on a map of 1849

Radcliffe Moat lies just north of Scawthorpe in an area known as Castle Hills, bordered by the Langthwaite Dike and the Doncaster to Leeds railway line. As with the Round About Moat in Arksey, it came perilously close to being obliterated by the line, in fact part of it does lie under the railway embankment.

The area consists of two earthworks, Radcliffe Moat, and Langthwaite Castle as can be seen on the map below.

Castle Hills in 1849

Nigel Fossard was a major tenant of Robert, Count of Mortain (the half brother of William the Conqueror). Fossard was an important supporter of King William, and following the Conquest in 1066 he was rewarded with land for his loyalty and service during the battle with King Harold. He held extensive properties from the count all over Yorkshire and that included the manor of Arksey which encompassed Bentley, Scawthorpe, and other satellite settlements in the area.

Nigel Fossard

Fossard left his mark on the area by building fortified manor houses, two of which were situated by the deserted village of Langthwaite (later Hangthwaite).

The de Langthwaites who owned the manor of Langthwaite in the twelfth century became quite an important family, with their name appearing in many northern documents.

In the Tudor period the manor was owned by the Woodruffes of Woolley,  and was sold by Francis Woodruffe in the reign of Elizabeth I. 

The two earthworks of Castle Hills and Radcliffe Moat are all that physically remains of the manor of Langthwaite. 

Castle Hills is an 11th century scheduled ancient monument, which consists of a 4-5m high motte with a kidney shaped inner bailey to the north, and a sub-rectangular outer bailey to the east, the outer bailey measuring approximately 70m x 40m. Its complex earthworks suggest this was an important monument which would have dominated the approach to the village along what is now Langthwaite Lane. 

In the later middle ages (14th or 15th centuries) Castle Hills was superseded by Radcliffe Moat, which lies some 500m to the east north east, and now lies partly under the railway embankments as mentioned earlier. This trapezoidal island measures 65m on the east side, around 55m on the north side, under the railway embankment, 50m on the south side, and around 45m on the west side. Joseph Hunter (Hunter's South Yorkshire 1828/31) makes reference to a house demolished there in the late 17th century, which had belonged to Sir William Adams, but there is no obvious building platform within the site today. 

Between the two monuments of Castle Hills and Radcliffe are the remains of the lost medieval village of Langthwaite (or Hangthwaite), now just a collection of earthworks.

Taken from the article Scawthorpe - It's Older Than You Think! on sister site Bentley Village, A History.

Radcliffe Moat aerial view

Tilts Moat

Tilts Moat on a map of 1854

The tiny hamlet of Tilts lies north west of Shaftholme and is the only moated site in the area to be occupied.

The site is thought to be the remains of a medieval manor dating between 1250 and 1350AD, and is a substantial double island moated site. While it was traditionally thought to be a monastic site, this cannot be substantiated. It was more likely to be a manor house, controlling the manor of Tilts. The size of it suggests it was a manor of some importance.

The two rectangular islands are divided and surrounded by a water-filled moat. The north island is the largest at about 100m x 50m, it is joined to the south island by a narrow causeway across the central ditch. The south island is roughly 75m x 40m and contains a house which appears to be seventeenth century in origin. The remains of an earlier manor house are believed to lie under the present house. Large stone blocks believed to have been the foundations of an ancillary building were found on the north island in the 1980's. Another discovery was a section of paved road entering the site from the north, this can be seen on the map of 1854 above. 

The moat has been partially filled in, while another part has been recut, so little remains of the original course. Modern structures now cover some of the old moat. 

Today the site is a scheduled monument, however, it is now occupied by Tilts Moat Farm. 

Taken from the article Local Hamlets Part Two - Tilts.

Tilts Moat Farm aerial view

Alison Vainlo 

First written 2012, updated 2020