MONUMENT NO. 921288

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Medieval moat and two fishponds surviving as earthworks. The fishponds are mentioned in a document of 1279. The site was occupied by a fortified manor house built circa 1318, possibly rebuilt after 1474 and replaced in the early 17th century. The 17th century house was ruined in the Civil War and itself replaced in 1769 by the present house.

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[Centred at SK 45420865] Moat [G.T.] (1)

"North-east of the village of Bagworth is a considerable area of embankments and two fish-ponds." (2)

In 1474, Lord Hastings received the royal licence to fortify three great houses in Leicestershire. Very little seems to have been done at Bagworth (already in ruins when Leland saw it about 1540)." (3)

"Shortly after Hastings came into possession of Ashby, the King issued letters patent authorising him to enclose lands in Ashby, Bagworth....and to build houses in these places. The patent
carried with it a licence to crenellate." (4)

A very strongly defended moated site in good condition, also a
large pond bay situated at SK 456083 partly destroyed by the
construction of the railway. See revised 25" survey. (5)

SK 45420865 This was originally a fortified Manor House c. 1318 when Robert de Holland was granted a licence to crenellate his dwelling place here. Fallen into disrepair and `worth nothing beyond the outgoings' Nichols claims that Hastings never actually fortified his house at Bagworth being fully absorbed by his activity at Ashby and Kirby Muxloe. Another house was built on the same site in the early 17th century which was ruined in the Civil War. According to Nichols, the ruins were dismantled and another house built on the same site in 1769 incorporating some of the earlier house's stonework. This survives. (6)

Probable earthwork moat of Post Medieval date, seen as an incomplete asymmetric polygonal enclosure, defined by 1 ditch, (4 sides visible), 55m by 80m. Centred at:-SK 4543 0865
Mapped from AP's.
(Morph No. FR.208.2.1)
(7)

SK 4545 0866; SK 4534 0862; SK 4566 0828. Moat and fishponds at Bagworth. The moated site measures 250m x 170m overall enclosing a rectangular island 110m x 80m. The south, east and west ditches are on average 20m wide and 3-4m deep and are largely dry. The northern arm widens to 70m at the north-east corner of the island. There are causeways in the north-west corner and the south; the latter considered to be the original entrance. The dry, rectangular fishpond to the west (SK 4534 0862) is 55m long and 45m wide maximum with an extension channel 25m long on the north-west side and a triangular island. The fishpond to the south-east (SK 4566 0828) is dry and irregularly shaped, being 75m x 100m maximum and was fed by a stream from the north which forms the southern boundary; the stream bed here is included in the scheduling. The western side of the fishpond is bounded by a bank 3m high which is broken in several places.
Documentary records for the site begin in 1279 when Anthony le Bek held a park in Bagworth (SK 40 NE 13) with two fishponds. Scheduled (RSM) No 17054. (8)

Listed as a possible castle by Cathcart King. (9)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

O.S. 6" 1930.

(2) edited by William Page 1907 The Victoria history of the county of Leicester, volume one

The Victoria history of the counties of England V.C.H. Leicestershire Vol I 1907 p.271. Page(s)271

(3) General reference

The Heritage of Leicestershire 1950 p.58 (W.G. Hoskins)

(4) Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society

Trans Leicestershire Archaeol Soc 17 (1931-3) p.200 (A. Herbert ARIBA.) 17 Page(s)200

(5) Field Investigators Comments

J Baird/30-JUN-1972/Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigator

(6) Transactions of the Leicestershire Architectural and Archaeological Society

Trans Leicestershire Archaeol Hist Soc 53 1977-78, p34 53 Page(s)34

(7) Field Investigators Comments

David Macleod/19-JUL-1993/RCHME: National Forest Project

(8) Scheduled Monument Notification

English Heritage SAM Amendment Leicestershire 09-MAR-1992

(9) by David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the islands. Volume I : Anglesey - Montgomery

Page(s)256

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