MONUMENT NO. 113152

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A Medieval moat is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. The moat measures a maximum of 7m wide and extends over an area that measures 62m long by 78m wide. It completely surrounds a curvilinear probable building platform. The flow of water is controlled by 2 leats which extend to the west and north of moat. The site is thought to be that off the Medieval house built by William de Valence in 1253 and documented in 1324, but was probably in a state of disrepair by 1372. This moat is a scheduled monument.

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(SO 77940976) Moat (NR) (1)

Ancient foundations of hewn stone, supposedly the remains of the mansion of the Valences, have been found inside the moat at Moreton Valence. As a distance of a hundred yards or more is an outer rampart which looks as if it once continued round the church and churchyard. (2-3)

Aymer de Valence's house, recorded in 1324 and 1372, probably occupied the moated site, 65 yds across, immediately north of the church. Though there is a low outer bank 100 yds from the moat on the south and west sides, and some lesser earthworks north of the moat, there is no evidence for the tradition that there was a castle there. The site was deserted by 1674, when it was known as "Coldcroft". (4)

The moat is well preserved. A banked ditch to the north-west, probably a water-course, suggests a wet moat. There are no traces of building foundations on the raised interior.

A slight platform adjacent to the north-east side of the moat may represent the site of contemporary building.

Resurveyed at 1:2500 (5)

A Medieval moat is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs. The moat is centred at SO 77940976 and extends over an area that measures a maximum of 62m long by 78m wide. It completely surrounds a curvilinear probable building platform. The flow of water is controlled by two leats which extend to the west and north of moat.

The south-western corner of the moat is perpendicular, while the others are more curved. The moat measures up to 7m wide, while the platform it surrounds measures 53m long and 43m wide at its widest points and is orientated northeast/southwest. The outer extents of the moat are surrounded on all but the south side by a raised bank, which measures circa 6m wide. A leat extends westward for 70m from the north-western corner of the moat leading to a linear hollow, were it appears to cut an outer bank to the west at SO 77850970. The linear hollow may have been the drainage ditch for the moat or the previous line of Church lane, a road that extends north-west to south-east of the village of Putloe. The second leat is situated at the north-eastern corner of the moat and diverges forming two branches, extending 67m north to SO 77910985, and south-east to SO 78040982.

A possible rectangular enclosure which is defined by a single ditch is visible on aerial photographs in 1946 on the south west side of the platform. It measures 14m long by 9m wide, and is orientated north/south. The rectangular enclosure may indicate the previous location of a building.

The orchard surrounding the moated site is enclosed by an outer bank to the north and west, which measures up to 6m wide. This bank may have continued around the site to the south and east, and is possibly contemporaneous with the moat, constructed to enclose its surrounding land. (7-8)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1955

( 2) The Antiquary: a magazine devoted to the study of the past

1, 1880 Page(s)186

( 3) Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society

32, 1909 Page(s)10

( 4) edited by C.R. Elrington and N.M. Herbert 1972 A history of the county of Gloucester, volume 10

The Victoria history of the counties of England (CR Elrington) Page(s)210

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 MJF 17-JUN-72

( 6) Scheduled Monument Notification

07-JUL-1999

(7) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF/CPE/UK/1913 4134-4135 30-DEC-1946

(8) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

NMR OS/70054 78-79 28-MAR-1970

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