Information for record number MWA55:
Site of Moat at Wishaw Hall Farm, Lichfield Road, Wishaw

Summary The site of a moat, in 2008 it was re-interpreted as being an off stream pond, possibly associated with nearby fishponds.
What Is It?  
Type: Moat, Pond
Period: Medieval (1066 AD - 1539 AD)
Where Is It?  
Parish: Wishaw
District: North Warwickshire, Warwickshire
Grid Reference: SP 17 95
(Data represented on this map shows the current selected record as a single point, this is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an accurate or complete representation of archaeological sites or features)
Level of Protection National - Old SMR PrefRef (Grade: )
Sites & Monuments Record
Picture(s) attached

 
Description

 
Source Number  

1 Part of an extensive series of earthworks including fishponds to the east and southeast of Wishaw Hall Farm.
3 A moat. What remained of the moat was filled in in 1973.
4 It is not certain that the earthwork was a moat as opposed to an additional fishpond.
5 In c1973 all that remained was an L-shaped hollow in the field, representing the two arms of the moat. This was filled in by the Farmer.
6 Evaluation confirmed the existence of an unfinished moat which was never functional. Extensive trenching of the area enclosed by, and surrounding the moat recovered no evidence for occupation. The site has been extensively damaged by levelling.
7 The final interpretation of this L-shaped feature is that it is an off-stream pond. No evidence was found for a manor house enclosed by this 'moat' feature.
8 The site is associated with fishponds.
 
Sources

Source No: 8
Source Type: Article in serial
Title: Symbols of Status in Medieval Warwickshire (1000-1500)
Author/originator: Hook D
Date: 2014
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: 117
   
Source No: 7
Source Type: Bibliographic reference
Title: The Archaeology of the M6 Toll 2000-2003
Author/originator: A Powell, B Powell, P Booth, A P Fitzpatrick and A D Crockett
Date: 2008
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 6
Source Type: Evaluation Report
Title: BNNR, Wishaw Hall Farm
Author/originator: OAU
Date: 1994
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 2
Source Type: Plan
Title:
Author/originator:
Date: 1843
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet: Estate Map and Aucti
   
Source No: 1
Source Type: Plan
Title: Earthworks at Wishaw Hall Farm
Author/originator: Bond C J
Date: 1969
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 5
Source Type: Record Card/Form
Title: SMR card : text
Author/originator: JMG
Date:
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Source No: 3
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Moated Sites Research Group
Author/originator:
Date: 1985
Page Number: 14
Volume/Sheet: 33
   
Source No: 4
Source Type: Unpublished document
Title: Moat at Wishaw Hall Farm
Author/originator: Bond C J
Date: 1987
Page Number:
Volume/Sheet:
   
Images:  
Part of a Medieval moat on the 1887 Ordnance Survey map in Wishaw
Copyright: Open
Date: 1887
Click here for larger image  
 
back to top

Glossary

 
Word or Phrase
Description  
source SMR Card Sites and Monuments Record Card. The Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record began to be developed during the 1970s. The details of individual archaeological sites and findspots were written on record cards. These record cards were used until the 1990s, when their details were entered on to a computerised system. The record cards are still kept at the office of the Warwickshire Sites and Monuments Record. back
technique Earthwork Earthworks can take the form of banks, ditches and mounds. They are usually created for a specific purpose. A bank, for example, might be the remains of a boundary between two or more fields. Some earthworks may be all that remains of a collapsed building, for example, the grassed-over remains of building foundations.

In the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky than during the other seasons, earthworks have larger shadows. From the air, archaeologists are able to see the patterns of the earthworks more easily. Earthworks can sometimes be confusing when viewed at ground level, but from above, the general plan is much clearer.

Archaeologists often carry out an aerial survey or an earthwork survey to help them understand the lumps and bumps they can see on the ground.
back
period Medieval 1066 AD to 1539 AD (the 11th century AD to the 16th century AD)

The medieval period comes after the Saxon period and before the post medieval period.

The Medieval period begins in 1066 AD.
This was the year that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror (1066 – 1087), invaded England and defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
The Medieval period includes the first half of the Tudor period (1485 – 1603 AD), when the Tudor family reigned in England and eventually in Scotland too.

The end of the Medieval period is marked by Henry VIII’s (1509 – 1547) order for the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the years running up to 1539 AD. The whole of this period is sometimes called the Middle Ages.
more ->
back
monument HOLLOW * A hollow, concave formation or place, which has sometimes been dug out. back
monument SITE * Unclassifiable site with minimal information. Specify site type wherever possible. back
monument FISHPOND * A pond used for the rearing, breeding, sorting and storing of fish. back
monument MANOR HOUSE * The principal house of a manor or village. back
monument FEATURE * Areas of indeterminate function. back
monument POND * A body of still water often artificially formed for a specific purpose. Use specifc type where known. back
monument MOAT * A wide ditch surrounding a building, usually filled with water. Use for moated sites, not defensive moats. Use with relevant site type where known, eg. MANOR HOUSE, GARDEN, etc. back
monument FIELD * An area of land, often enclosed, used for cultivation or the grazing of livestock. back
monument STREAM * A natural flow or current of water issuing from a source. back
monument FARM * A tract of land, often including a farmhouse and ancillary buildings, used for the purpose of cultivation and the rearing of livestock, etc. Use more specific type where known. back
monument EARTHWORK * A bank or mound of earth used as a rampart or fortification. back

* Copyright of English Heritage (1999)

English Heritage National Monuments Record