Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Larger 16th century farmhouse with moat and pond.

Monument Types

• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full description

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From the National Heritage List for England:
The moated site at Filston Hall comprises an incomplete but originally nearly-square wet moat and a moat island together with a large fishpond and an adjacent silt-trap. A largely Jacobean house with an older, probably late
Medieval, timber-framed kitchen range stands on the island, but the building is not the original building constructed with the moat and it is excluded from the scheduling (although it remains listed Grade II*). Moats are generally seen as prestigious residences of the Lords of the Manor. The moat not only marked the high status of the occupier but also served to deter casual raiders and wild animals. Most moats were constructed between 1250 and 1350, and it is to this period that the moat at Filston is likely to date. The fishpond, a sizeable extension of the moat on the upstream side, was probably originally separated from the moat by a wooden sluice gate to ensure that the rubbish deposited in the moat could not contaminate the fish for the table. The silt-trap, which still performs its function efficiently, prevented the fishpond from silting up. The present bridge onto the island is of modern materials but is likely to preserve the position of the original bridge. The foundations of the bridge are therefore included in the scheduling, but the modern bridge structure is excluded. Similarly, the ground beneath the house is included although the house itself is excluded from the scheduling. Additionally, the already disturbed upper deposits of the infilled moat to the north of the bridge where a roadway onto the island was constructed earlier this century are excluded, although the deposits beneath this access roadway are included.

ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE
Around 6,000 moated sites are known in England. They consist of wide ditches, often or seasonally water-filled, partly or completely enclosing one or more islands of dry ground on which stood domestic or religious buildings. In some cases the islands were used for horticulture. The majority of moated sites served as prestigious aristocratic and seigneurial residences with the provision of a moat intended as a status symbol rather than a practical military defence. The peak period during which moated sites were built was between about 1250 and 1350 and by far the greatest concentration lies in central and eastern parts of England. However, moated sites were built throughout the medieval period, are widely scattered throughout England and exhibit a high level of diversity in their forms and sizes. They form a significant class of medieval monument and are important for the understanding of the distribution of wealth and status in the countryside. Many examples provide conditions favourable to the survival of organic remains.
The moated site at Filston Hall is of particular importance because it survives in a largely unaltered form. The monument therefore retains a high archaeological potential for the recovery of archaeological information, perhaps including evidence of the original buildings of the moat island along with evidence of the environment of the moated site when it was built which is considered likely to survive in the waterlogged conditions of the moat.

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