Upper Barn Moat, Wistanstow
- HER Number (PRN): 00174
- Site Name : Upper Barn Moat, Wistanstow
- Protected Status:
Grade: Ref No.: 1012455 Title: Upper Barn moat Type: Scheduled Monument - Civil Parish:
- Grid Reference: SO 4216 8610
- Brief Description: Scheduled Monument: An isolated and almost undisturbed medieval moated site, probably a homestead dating from the later medieval period, perhaps reflecting a rise in wealth in this area following wholesale woodland clearance at that time.
- Description: Upper Barn moat situated 0.75 miles NW of Wistanstow. The moat encloses an area 166ft by 148ft, with an entrance at the NW angle where a stream enters the moat. Suggested as being part of the Manor of Wistanstow. A sub-square, marshy homestead moat, situated in an elevated position upon a SE facing slope of arable and pasture land. The moat measures, overall, 80m square; the arms are 10m - 14m in width, and there is an outer retaining bank on the E and S sides, 6m wide and up to 1.5m in height. A small stream flows in through the NW corner and out of the SW corner. A breach at the SE corner is modern. When the S and E arms were dredged in 1975 a few fragments of roof tile were found <1>
Moated site, situated in an elevated position upon a SE facing slope. It is sub-square in shape, and measures 80m square, the arms of the moat are 10m-14m in width, and there is an outer retaining bank on the E and S sides, 6m wide and 1.5m high. the arms of the moat are marshy and waterlogged. There appears to be a causewayed entrance at the NW corner c 7m in width. The moat was originally fed by a small stream which flows into the NW corner and out again through a modern breach in the SW corner. The moat island is c 1m higher than the surrounding land. The site is well preserved and in good condition except for the modern breach at the SE corner. The island appears undisturbed. The S and E arms were dredged in 1975; the others are undisturbed and waterlogged <2>
A rectangular area apx 60yds (54m) square surrounded by a semi-wet ditch and, on the S and E, by an outer bank. Grass with large trees around the perimeter. The entrance may have been on the E side. Monument has been ploughed (13-16cm) and planted with kale <3>
Evaluated for MPP in 1990-1: Medium score as one of 133 Moated sites <7>
Scheduling affirmed in 1991. Abstract of information not included in preceding sources: Upper Barn moat lies 1km to the NW of Wistanstow. The site overlooks the village. It covers an area measuring 78m by 80m. The moat ditch is flat bottomed, 10m wide and 2.5m deep. It is waterlogged, fed by the stream crossing the site from NW to SE. The moat island stands 1m above the surrounding land surface and the uneven interior suggests the presence of buried structures. A causewayed entrance 3m wide crosses the moat ditch in the NW corner and gives access to the interior. As well as the outer bank on the S and E sides, traces remains of an outer bank on the W side. Upper Barn is a medieval homestead moat which is isolated from any contemporaneous settlement. The location is thought to reflect the rise in wealth in the area after wholesale woodland clearance in the later medieval period. The site is essentially undisturbed and archaeological potential is high <8>
Photographed during aerial survey in 2008. <11>
Visited during a condition survey by the English Heritage Field Monument Warden, in 1998. Condition recorded as poor with the site largely unmanaged. <12>
A conservation management plan was prepared in March 2013 for Upper Barn Moat, covering the reduction of understorey scrub and vegetation, removal of defective mature trees and selective thinning of the mature tree cover. Advice is also provided for the location and implementation of fencing, a gate and water trough. <13> - Record Type: Monument
- Sources:
(00) Card index: Shropshire County Council SMR. Site and Monuments Record (SMR) cards. SMR record cards. SMR Card for PRN SA 00174. (01) Card index: Ordnance Survey. 1977. Ordnance Survey Record Card SO48NW10 . Ordnance Survey record cards. SO48NW10 . (02) Field recording form: Watson Michael D. 1981. Site Visit Form, 1981. SMR site visit form. (03) Field Monument Warden Report: Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (HBMC). 1987-Aug-10. Scheduled Monument Report on SAM 33017 (10/08/1987). (04) Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1987-Jan-03. CPAT 87/MB/0115. Black and White. Medium. (05) Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 1990-Apr-04. CPAT 90/MB/0589. Black and White. Medium. (06) Scheduled Monument notification: English Heritage. 1991. Map of Scheduled area, 1991. (07) TEXT: Horton Wendy B. 1990/ 1991. MPP Evaluation File. (08) Scheduled Monument notification: English Heritage. 1992. Scheduling Papers (Affirmation, 19/11/1992). 13685. (09) Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 2000-Mar-05. CPAT 00/MB/2008 to 2009 (2 photos). Black and White. Medium. (10) Oblique aerial photograph: Musson Chris R. 2000-Mar-05. CPAT 00/MB/2055 to 2056 (2 photos). Black and White. Medium. (11) Oblique aerial photograph: Shropshire Council. 2008-Nov-25. SA0812_100 to SA0812_104 (5 photos) Flight: 08_SA-12. Colour. Digital. (12) Field survey report: Leigh Judith. 2001. Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the Shropshire Hills ESA: Brief Condition Survey. (13) Management report: Orchard C. 2013. Management Plan forÂ…Upper Barn Moat, Manor Farm, Wistanstow, Craven Arms (SM 13685; NHLE 1012455). Shropshire Council. - Tags:
- Related Places:
- For more information contact: Shropshire Council HER
- Date Created: 14/06/1976
- Date Last Edited: 02/08/2019 09:48:13
