Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Site of medieval moated manor house. The enclosed area measures circa 34 metres by 25 metres. Parts of the moat have been filled in, and others are visible only as shallow surface depressions. Ordnance Survey field investigation in 1964 described the site as overgrown. Cottages previously described as "fairly recent" are no longer standing. A number of sarsens surrounding the site are of no archaeological significance, despite claims that they represented the site of a demolished megalithic monument. The 1840 Tithe Map for Aylesford shows a rectangular, water-filled homestead moat (34m NW to SE by 25m) with a causeway in the NW corner. The moat was probably fed in the SE corner by a spring. It is now partly filled in and overgrown.

The Tithe map also shows a manor house, L shaped with 2 cottages. All of these have since been demolished.

Monument Types

• STONE CIRCLE (Unknown date)
• MANOR HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 73906052] Stone circle [OE] (Remains of). (1) [TQ 73936037] Moat [GT]. (2) `Probably Md (Remains of moat, etc)'. (3) A group of sarsens round a springhead at Tottington, are in great disorder, some being half-buried in the stream and it is evident that the circle, if ever there was one, was a monument on its own and not set up round a barrow. (4) Tottington was an ancient manor. It is now a farmhouse with part of the ancient building standing detached at the west end. It is surrounded by a deep moat fed by springs. The large sarsens about the yard were undoubtedly taken up in digging the moat. (5) At Tottington the Aylesford Tithe Map, 1840 (a) shows a rectangular waterfilled homestead moat with a causeway in the NW side. Within the enclosed area is a house, L shaped on plan, situated at the north end of the present cottages, with the longer wing running SW from the S end. (6) At Great Tottington there are the mutilated remains of a homestead moat, now dry except for a pond at the NE corner. It would appear to have been rectangular on plan, the enclosed area measuring approx. 34m NW-SE by 25 m. transversely. The NE arm has been filled in, though its outline is still discernible; the other arms remain as shallow depressions. Near the SE corner is a spring which probably fed the moat; the water is now piped away. Within the moat are two fairly modern cottages; there is no evidence of the earlier manor-house. N of and surrounding the moat and farm buildings, are large numbers of sarsens, none of which are of any archaeological significance. Antiquity Model survey carried out. (7) Cottages demolished, Moat now fairly overgrown. (8) Not mentioned in the county checklist of moated sites in Kent - December 1977 and December 1979. (9,10) additional bibliography (11-14)

<1> OS 6" 1909 (OS Card Reference). SKE48324.

<2> OS 6" 1938-48 (OS Card Reference). SKE48355.

<3> Rec 6" (OGS Crawford udtd) (OS Card Reference). SKE49060.

<4> Arch of Kent (1930) p.82, 251 (Jessup) (OS Card Reference). SKE36858.

<5> Custumale Roffense 1788 p.67 (J Thorpe) (OS Card Reference). SKE39533.

<6> Aylesford TM CTR 12B 1840 Records Office Maidstone (OS Card Reference). SKE37422.

<7> F1 AC 15-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41808.

<8> F2 ASP 20-OCT-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43140.

<9> Moated Site Res Grp 6 1979 (ed CJ Bond) (OS Card Reference). SKE47238.

<10> Arch Cant 93 1977 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE36114.

<12> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 2 - May, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4158.

<13> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 2 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4159.

<14> Field report for monument TQ 76 SW 2 - October, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4160.

Sources and further reading