HOBS MOAT

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The monument is situated on the north-facing slope of a low hill within the outskirts of Solihull and includes a moated site and the earthwork remains of a section of a hollow way. The moated site has external dimensions of approximately 137 metres north to south and 115 metres east to west. The steep sided moat ditches are dry and measure up to 7 metres wide and 2.5 metres deep. External banks are visible on all four sides of the moated site and although the northern and eastern banks have been lowered they can be traced on the ground surface. The banks are approximately 12 metres wide at their base and have an average height of 1.8 metres. The moated island is 0.65 hectares in area and slopes gradually from south to north. There is an internal enclosure bank on the west, north and east sides of the island, running parallel to the moat ditches. An excavation across a section of the inner bank in 1985 provided evidence for the bank's construction; deposits of stony clay mounded up over a sandy gravel core. A second bank was located beneath the inner one which consists of a sandy bank revetted on either side by bands of cobbles set in clay. This feature is earlier in date than the inner bank and employs a different construction technique. An excavation in the southern half of the moated island has indicated that the structures which originally occupied the island will survive as buried features. The remains of a small structure, bounded by walls set within shallow foundation slots, were located. Excavations within the moat have recovered evidence for a collapsed sandstone wall, and suggested a late 13th century date for its construction. The remains of the wall had been overlain by the base of a later structure. Immediately alongside the north side of Hob's Moat are the earthwork remains of a hollow way which is medieval in origin.

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[SP 146825] Hob's Moat [LB] (1)

A sub-rectangular earthwork comprising a double rampart with intervening ditch. In the 19 C. an outer ditch was also
visible. (2)

Hutton (1783) (3) and later writers suggest that the moat enclosed a manor house, perhaps occupied until the last half of the 13 C., but no foundations were to be seen in 1957 nor does Dugdale note any in the 17 C. (4).

In June 1955 a drainage trench was cut from the northern ditch to a manhole at the south-west corner of an adjacent new church hall. The trench did not cross the rampart but a drawing of the exposed section was obtained. No finds were made.

It is suggested by Gathercole that the earthwork may be a 14 C. refuge, and likens it to the "Mount" at Cheswick (SP 130761) stating that these moats with internal banks were probably different in function to the normal homestead moat. (5)

Scheduled as Hob's Moat. Dugdale (4) calls this Hogg's Moat but also says that he had heard it called Odingsell's (name of local family) Moat which was anciently written as Hoginsells. (2-6)

A major defensive earthwork, tree covered and in an excellent state of preservation.

There is no surface indication of a former building within, nor is there evidence of a surrounding ditch.

Gathercole's suggestion of a refuge is possibly correct.

Published survey (1/1250 1953) revised. (7)

Hob's Moat - no change since report of 14.6.67. The enclosed area measures 90.0 m north-south by 55.0 m tansversely; the inner rampart is 20.0 m in width and from 1.0 m in height on the to 2.0 m on the west. The inner ditch, steep sided and flat-bottomed is 20.0 m in width and 2.5 m in depth. The outer rampart is also 20.0 m in width on the south and west but has been reduced or destroyed on the north and east. It reaches on external height of 1.9m on the west. Remains of the original causewayed entrance is midway through the east side. The original water supply to the moat cannot now be determined.

Published survey (1:1250) correct. (8)

Excavation, geophysical and field survey were carried out at Hob's moat between 1985-86. Pottery found in a trench excavated across the inner rampart and interior indicate a 13th century construction date, with later modifications to the enclosing earthworks. The remains of a number of medieval buildings were found, and in addition a late medieval/early post medieval shed-like structure. The activity on the site during the 17th century and later appears to be agricultural. (9-10)

An earthwork survey was carried out at Hobs Moat by RCHME at a scale of 1:1000 in October 1997. The moated site covers an area of 1.5 ha and comprises an island enclosed by a bank which is separated from a counterscarp by a deep, steep-sided ditch. Evidence for another outer ditch, which was located during excavation in 1955, was not evident. Field boundaries in the north and south were also recorded.

The moat island slopes gradually from south to north and covers an area of c. 0.65 ha. Surrounding the island is a bank; on the west side it is complete and well preserved whilst on the southern side it is very degraded. Along the eastern bank there is evidence of extensive wear, and in two places there are breaks, the northerly break being in the area of the third excavation trench. There is also a break along the north side measuring 4m wide.

The steep-sided moat ditch measures up to 7m wide at the bottom and is 2.5m deep. At the mid-point along the eastern side is a spread causeway measuring 12m wide and c. 0.3m high. This corresponds with an adjacent break in the internal bank.

The external bank is complete on three sides of the moat and on the fourth, eastern side, it is very degraded and can only be partially traced. The site was probably a homestead or hunting lodge (See archive report for further details). (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1955

( 2) 1904 The Victoria history of the county of Warwick, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)395-96

( 3) General reference

Hutton W. 1783. History of Birmingham Page(s)279

( 4) General reference

Dugdale W. 1730. History of Warwick Page(s)939

( 5) Birmingham and Midland Institute, Birmingham Archaeological Society transactions, excursions and reports

Page(s)118-119

( 6) Ministry of Works 1953 Ancient monuments in England and Wales : list prepared by the Ministry of Works, corrected to 31st December 1952

Page(s)97

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 14/06/1967

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F2 19/01/1976

( 9) Moated Sites Research Group report

13 Page(s)21-3

(10) Medieval Settlement Research Group : annual report

2 Page(s)25-6

(11) Field Investigators Comments

G Brown/31-OCT-1997/RCHME Hobs Moat Survey

(12) Scheduled Monument Notification

23-NOV-1995

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