Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A medieval moated farmstead was found in Ashford during a rescue excavation in advance of construction works for a housing development. An internal platform was found, surrounded on all four sides by a moat with a causewayed entrance on the west side. Found on the platform were the remains of two possible buildings, one of which showed signs of post-medieval industrial activity. The moat is clearly visible in a good condition on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition map of c.1861 at Parsonage Farm. Its remains are also visible on the 2nd and 3rd edition maps of c.1895-1922. The small amount of finds from the site dated to the 13th - 15th centuries, indicating this was probably the main period of acitivity at the site.

Monument Types

• MOAT (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1200 AD? (at some time) to 1900 AD? (at some time))

Full description

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TR 01444332. Parsonage Barn Farm. Rescue excavation ahead of housing development located the site of this medieval moated farmstead. The low internal platform was surrounded on all four sides by a wet moat with a causewayed entrance on the west side. The platform contained traces of two possible buildings one of which showed signs of s post-medieval industrial process. The extent of the area is 80m by 31m and the few finds indicate a 13th c - 15th c date. The site was largely filled and levelled in the 19th or early 20th century. (1,2)

<1> Moated Sites Res Gp Rpt No 7 1980 10 (OS Card Reference). SKE47278.

<2> OS 25" 1898 (OS Card Reference). SKE48255.

Sources and further reading